Agartala, Sept 23: The Tripura government has enhanced the festival grant for employees and pensioners by Rs 300 for the financial year 2026-27, with more than 2.34 lakh beneficiaries set to receive the revised assistance.

Announcing the decision at a press conference at the Civil Secretariat on Wednesday, Finance Minister Pranajit Singha Roy said the enhanced grant would cover 1,48,501 employees and workers as well as 85,916 pensioners and family pensioners.

The revised rates will come into effect for the festival season this year, with eligible beneficiaries allowed to avail themselves of the grant for any one festival during the year.

Under the new structure, Group C and Group D employees, including those appointed on fixed-pay basis against posts kept in abeyance, will receive Rs 2,400, compared to Rs 2,100 in the previous financial year. Daily-rated workers engaged with the prior concurrence of the Finance Department will also receive Rs 2,400.

The festival grant for part-time workers, contractual workers and casual workers covered under the specified categories has been increased from Rs 2,310 to Rs 2,610. Anganwadi Workers and Helpers, Home Guards/SPOs and eligible daily-rated and contractual workers will also receive Rs 2,610.

For pensioners and family pensioners, the grant has been fixed at Rs 2,400, while priests serving in government-run temples will receive the same amount.

The grant for part-time or irregular pump operators under the PWD (DWS) and Rural Development and Panchayat departments has been increased from Rs 1,050 to Rs 1,350.

According to the government, the total financial implication of the Festival Grant for 2026-27 is estimated at Rs 47.16 crore. The Rs 300 enhancement across the applicable categories will entail an additional expenditure of around Rs 6.14 crore.

Singha Roy said the festival grant, which stood at Rs 700 in 2017-18, has been revised periodically over the years.

The minister also clarified that the benefit is not restricted to Durga Puja. Employees belonging to different religious communities can avail themselves of the grant in connection with one of the festivals specified by the government, subject to the condition that it can be claimed only once in a year. The listed festivals include Durga Puja, Christmas, Garia Puja, Buddha Purnima, Eid-Uz-Zuha, Bengali New Year, Eid-ul-Fitr, Guru Nanak's Birthday and Mahavir Jayanti.

The government has also made provisions for a Festival Advance, with an estimated financial requirement of Rs 183.77 crore. Around one lakh employees and eligible workers are expected to benefit from the advance.

Under the revised arrangement, eligible Group A, Group B, Group C and Group D employees, including specified fixed-pay employees and daily-rated workers, will be entitled to a Festival Advance of Rs 20,000.

Anganwadi Workers and Helpers and Home Guards will receive Rs 5,000, while ASHA Workers will be entitled to Rs 2,000, to be provided through the National Health Mission.

Unlike the Festival Grant, employees seeking the Festival Advance will have to submit their applications online through the NextGen HRMS portal. The Finance Department has issued a separate memorandum on the procedure for submission of applications and preparation of bills by Drawing and Disbursing Officers.

The Festival Grant, however, does not require a separate application.

Finance Secretary P K Goyal and Additional Secretary Akinchan Sarkar were also present at the press conference.

The announcements come ahead of this year's Durga Puja, which is scheduled to be celebrated from October 16.