Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 29 (IANS): The Kerala government on Monday announced a financial package for all government employees and pensioners to keep date with the harvest festival of the state -- Onam.

Around 1.3 million people are expected to get the benefit.

For years, Onam bonus has been a customary norm. This time, it includes a sum of Rs 4,000 to all government employees and Rs 2,750 to those who do not qualify to get a bonus.

Besides, all state government employees will get Rs 20,000 as advance which will be recovered in the coming months in installments.

The pensioners will get an additional Rs 1,000 with their monthly pension, while all part time and contingent employees will get Rs 6,000 as advance, along with their August salary cheque.

In order to meet its Onam commitments, the cash-strapped state government has to shell out an extra Rs 1,000 crore.

Meanwhile, the general norm in the private sector in the state is all employees are eligible to get one month's salary as Onam bonus.

Unlike the last two years when the celebration was a low-key affair owing to the pandemic, this year the state is fully geared to return to the pre-Covid times and celebrate the harvest festival in a grand manner.