Union Minister Prakash Javdekar and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman addressed a joint press conference after the Union Cabinet meeting on Wednesday. Informing about the important cabinet decisions taken by the Cabinet in today's meeting, Prakash Javdekar said that the Cabinet meeting chaired by PM Modi has approved for 78-day wages as a productivity bonus for the railway employees.

READ | Underwater railway between UAE and India?

READ | Government announces total ban on e-cigarettes in India; details here

Productivity Linked Bonus for Indian Railway employees

This is for the sixth consecutive year that the central government has declared Productivity Linked Bonus (PLB) for the Indian Railways employees.

"11.52 lakh Railway employees will get 78 days wages as bonus. This is a reward for productivity," Javdekar said.

Railways were the first departmental undertaking of the government where the concept of Productivity Linked Bonus was introduced in the year 1979-80. In the financial year 2017-18, the Cabinet had approved the payment of PLB equivalent to 78 days’ wages for all eligible non-gazetted Railway employees. This cost the government Rs. 2,000 crore.

READ | Passengers at 400 railway stations to soon be served tea in kulhads

READ | Piyush Goyal: Fitness Centres should be opened on railway premises

Government bans E-Cigarettes

In other major cabinet decisions taken today, the government has approved the law which will prohibit the usage of Electronic Cigarettes including its production, manufacture, import, export, transport, sale, distribution, storage, and advertisement. 
According to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the decision to ban e-cigarettes will save the population including kids and the young generation from the risk of addiction.

According to a draft ordinance, the storage of e-cigarettes shall now be punishable with imprisonment up to six months or a Rs 50,000 or both. 

READ | Amazon partners with Indian Railways for self pick-up of parcels

READ | Indian Railways sign MoUs with CII to encourage green initiative