Diwali Bonus of Rs 419 Crore Approved for 38,000 SCCL Employees

Hyderabad: The Telangana government has approved a Diwali bonus of Rs 419 crore for employees of Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL), with payments set to reach workers by November 5.

The announcement was made on Friday by Deputy Chief Minister and Energy Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, who also conveyed advance Diwali greetings to coal company employees. He asked company management to pay out the performance-linked award bonus.

Roughly 38,000 workers stand to gain from the decision. Each employee will receive Rs 1,10,250, and the company will bear a total cost of Rs 419 crore.

This marks the second bonus for Singareni staff within a month. The state had earlier declared a Dussehra bonus of Rs 596 crore on October 13.

After the Deputy Chief Minister's instructions, SCCL management has begun the distribution process. Singareni CMD Buddha Prakash Jyoti consulted the relevant personnel and finance officers and told them to make arrangements for depositing the bonus into employee bank accounts by November 5.

Eligibility criteria

The company stated that the Diwali bonus applies only to employees under the National Coal Wage Agreement and not to executive or officer-level staff.

Workers who completed 190 working days in underground mines, or 240 working days in opencast and surface mines, in the previous financial year qualify for the full bonus. Those with fewer working days will receive a bonus proportionate to their attendance. A minimum of 30 days of attendance in the previous financial year is required to be eligible.

Previous benefits

On October 13, the state government had also announced a 34 percent profit share for permanent employees as a Dussehra gift. Permanent workers received an average of Rs 1,53,912 each, while contract employees got Rs 5,500 each.

Across both bonuses, the company has distributed around Rs 1,020 crore. In a single month, employees are expected to receive an average of roughly Rs 2,65,000 from the Dussehra and Diwali payments.

Advice to workers

In his Diwali message, the CMD encouraged employees to use the bonus money for their family's needs and to save part of it wherever possible. He also urged all workers to labour with dedication during the festive season and to keep striving to meet the targets assigned to each mine and department.