The Kerala government has sanctioned an Onam bonus of ₹4,500 for state employees whose total salary was up to ₹49,275 under the 11th Pay Revision scale as of 31 March 2026. The order, issued ahead of the Onam season, sets the pay ceiling that separates employees eligible for the bonus from those who will instead receive a special festival allowance.
The bonus applies to state government employees, staff of aided educational institutions and employees of local self-government institutions. To qualify, an employee must have been in service as on 31 March 2026 and completed at least six months of continuous service during the financial year 2025-26. Under the 10th Pay Revision scale, the equivalent salary ceiling is ₹44,462.
Employees who fall outside the bonus limit will receive a special festival allowance instead, and no one is entitled to both. The allowance ranges from ₹3,000 down to ₹1,250 across categories. Personal staff of ministers, the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Leader of the Opposition and Chief Whip who joined after the last Onam vacation are eligible for ₹3,000, while ASHA workers, Anganwadi workers, helpers, palliative care nurses and BUDS school staff will receive ₹1,450. Service and family pensioners are eligible for ₹1,250.
The bonus and special festival allowance can be drawn and distributed from 17 August 2026 and must be disbursed by 31 March 2027. In a separate order, the government sanctioned an Onam advance of up to ₹20,000 for state employees, recoverable from salaries in five equal monthly instalments beginning October 2026. An advance of ₹6,000 was sanctioned for several other categories, including part-time contingent employees, NMR and CLR staff, seasonal workers, and Anganwadi workers and helpers.
The advance for eligible employees will be distributed from 20 August, with the order stating that no advance can be sanctioned after Onam 2026. The measures form part of the state’s annual festival package for its government workforce, which runs into lakhs of employees and pensioners across departments and institutions.
