CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government on Friday announced a Pongal bonus to teachers and group 'C' and 'D' category employees of the state government.

The government would incur an additional expenditure to the tune of Rs 167.68 crore to distribute Pongal bonus to the targeted group of employees and retired Village Administrative Officers and Assistants, according to a release from the state government.

According to the release, "Orders were issued to grant an ad hoc bonus, subject to a ceiling of Rs 3,000, to the employees including the teachers of group 'C' and 'D'. A special ad hoc bonus of Rs 1,000 will be paid to full-time and part-time employees, who are paid from contingencies at fixed monthly rates, employees of consolidated pay, special time scale of pay and the employees who worked for a minimum of 240 days in a 2022-2023 financial year. While the government pensioners, who retired from group 'C' and 'D' categories, family pensioners and retired VAOs and village assistants would be paid Rs 500 as Pongal gift."