ST Employees to Receive ₹6,000 Diwali Gift – Deputy CM Eknath Shinde

Mumbai, Oct 2025: Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced that 85,000 employees and officers of the ST Corporation will receive a Diwali gift of ₹6,000 as a special grant. In addition, to cover the difference due to salary revisions, the government will provide ₹65 crore monthly to the corporation, and eligible employees opting for advance Diwali payment will receive ₹12,500.

The announcement was made during a meeting of all ST employee organizations and the Action Committee at Sahyadri Guest House. The meeting was attended by Transport Minister and ST Corporation Chairman Pratap Sarnaik, Deputy CM’s Principal Secretary Navin Sona, Additional Chief Secretary of Finance Omprakash Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary of Transport Sanjay Sethi, Managing Director of ST Corporation Dr. Madhav Kusekar, Deputy Secretary Rajendra Holkar, and representatives of various organizations.

Deputy CM Shinde stated that heavy rainfall has created challenging conditions in the state, and the government stands firmly with the farming community. “The Diwali of ST employees should also be joyful,” he said, highlighting the importance of economically strengthening the ST Corporation. Various measures are being taken to increase the corporation’s revenue, including the development of its properties under a public-private partnership model.

To provide ₹6,000 as a Diwali gift to all employees and officers, the government has approved a grant of ₹51 crore. The salary differences for 2020–24 will be paid along with monthly salaries, for which ₹65 crore has been allocated. Additionally, eligible employees opting for advance Diwali payment will receive ₹12,500 as before, with the ST Corporation requesting ₹54 crore from the government for this purpose, as stated by Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik.