KOLKATA: Coal India will hand over festive season bonus of Rs 64,700 to each of its 2.66-lakh odd coal workers. It will cost the company around Rs 1,700 crore.On Tuesday, six central trade unions at Coal India negotiated with the management for several hours to decide on the amount of Puja bonus. Last year the workers received Rs 60,500 per employee and Coal India shelled out Rs 1,600 crore.“Following several hours of negotiation with the management an amount of Rs 64,700 has been decided,” said S Q Zama, Secretary-General of the Indian National Mine Workers’ Federation under INTUC. “The amount is generally paid a day or two before Durga Puja starts.”D.D. Ramanandan, president All India Coal Workers Federation said: “Every year we start with a figure that is higher by a few notches and settle at a figure between last years payment and the amount asked for.”The unions that negotiated with the management are Indian National Mineworkers’ Federation (INTUC), Hind Khadan Mazdoor Federation (HMS), Indian Mineworkers’ Federation (AITUC), All India Coal Workers’ Federation (CITU), All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU) and Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS).According to a former Coal India chairman, Coal India had paid around Rs 30,000 to each employee during 2010 and it used to be mostly spent on garments and host of gadgets that these workers aspired for including scooters or a new Television set.Zama said: “Coal India is spread over a few hundred mines and the spending pattern, however, varies vastly between regions. While in East a number of employees spend the bulk of the bonus, in other regions the quantum of spending during Durga Puja would be different.”Ramanandan said: “With time, aspirations of workers have also changed. They now aspire for high-end mobile phones or a computer since living standards of these people and their family members have also improved with time. The spend is spread over a month starting with Durga Puja to Diwali .”