Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government has sanctioned a ₹4,500 bonus and a special festival allowance for various categories of employees and pensioners, and approved an Onam advance of up to ₹20,000 for government employees ahead of the festival.

The Finance Department announced the decisions through two orders issued on August 14.

Under the first order, eligible state government employees, employees of aided educational institutions and local self-government institutions will receive a ₹4,500 bonus for 2025-26, subject to the prescribed salary and service conditions.

Employees who do not qualify for the bonus will receive a special festival allowance, with the amount varying by category. The allowance ranges from ₹1,250 to ₹3,000 for the categories specified in the order.

The order also covers several categories of workers, including daily-wage and contingent employees, ASHA workers, Anganwadi workers and helpers, school counsellors and other specified groups. Eligible pensioners will also receive a special festival allowance.

The bonus and special festival allowance can be drawn and distributed from August 17, 2026, and must be disbursed by March 31, 2027. Employees are entitled to either the bonus or the special festival allowance, not both.

Onam advance up to ₹20,000
In a separate order, the government sanctioned an Onam advance of ₹20,000 to all state government employees and the personal staff of the Chief Minister, ministers, Leader of the Opposition, Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Chief Whip.

Employees who require a lower amount can opt for an advance in multiples of ₹1,000, subject to the maximum of ₹20,000. The amount will be recovered from salaries in five equal monthly instalments beginning October 2026.

An Onam advance of ₹6,000 has also been sanctioned for several other categories, including part-time contingent employees, NMR/CLR employees, seasonal workers, permanent workers in agricultural farms, permanent government workers, certain PWD workshop workers, Anganwadi workers and helpers, and specified temporary workers in the Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development departments.

Workers who receive weekly wages will have the advance recovered in 21 equal weekly instalments, while other eligible workers will repay it in five monthly instalments.

Local self-government institutions can decide whether to grant the advance to workers under their jurisdiction, taking into account their financial capacity and availability of funds. The Onam advance will be distributed from August 20, and the order states that no advance can be sanctioned after Onam 2026.