The clarification comes amid discussions over the annual Productivity Linked Bonus (PLB) for railway employees, with the circulated document presenting itself as an official Railway Board order.
The forged letter was formatted to resemble an official directive, bearing the number RBE No. 101/2026 and the date October 6, 2026. It claimed that a bonus equivalent to 78 days of wages, amounting to ₹41,149, had been approved for non-gazetted railway employees for 2025-26.
The Railway Board categorically stated that it had not issued the letter and that its contents were not valid. All zonal railways, production units and offices were instructed to disregard the document completely and ensure that no payment was made on its basis.
The notice was also forwarded to the Inspector General (IG) of the Railway Protection Force (RPF), requesting the registration of an FIR under the provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The amount mentioned in the forged letter has also raised questions about the calculation used to arrive at the claimed bonus. Railway bonuses are not calculated on employees' actual salaries. Instead, a monthly wage ceiling of ₹7,000 is used for the calculation. Under this limit, the maximum bonus for 78 days last year was ₹17,951.
For comparison, the actual bonus for 2024-25 was up to ₹17,951 for 78 days, while the forged letter claimed ₹41,149 for the same period.
According to the calculation, arriving at a bonus of ₹41,149 for 78 days would require a monthly wage of approximately ₹16,000, more than double the ₹7,000 wage ceiling specified in last year's order.
Meanwhile, as of the afternoon of October 14, 2026, the Cabinet has not announced any decision on the Productivity Linked Bonus for 2025-26.
Last year, the Cabinet approved a 78-day bonus on September 24, 2025, for 1,091,146 non-gazetted railway employees, involving a total expenditure of ₹1,865.68 crore. The government's release stated that the bonus is paid every year before the Durga Puja and Dussehra holidays. Gazetted officers are not eligible for this bonus.
Further details and figures from last year's announcement are available in the earlier report published at https://www.indianpaycalculator.in/sarkari-news/railway-bonus-2025-26-no-order-last-year-17951.
To verify the authenticity of bonus-related communications, the Railway Board has advised employees to consult the Ministry of Railways website, indianrailways.gov.in, or the Railway Board page at indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard. Genuine Cabinet approvals are also announced through releases issued by the Press Information Bureau (PIB).
The Board's clarification underscores the need to verify official railway bonus announcements through authorised government channels rather than relying on letters circulated through WhatsApp or social media.
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