Parliament has passed the Payment of Gratuity Amendment Bill 2010, hiking the Gratuity amount from the present 3.5 lakhs rupees to 10 lakh rupees for public and private sector employees. The Rajya Sabha yesterday passed the bill by a voice vote, which was already cleared by the Lok Sabha. Replying to the discussion, Labour Minister, Mallikarjun Kharge rejected the demand by several members that the provision be implemented with retrospective effect from 2006 when the Sixth Pay Commission gave its recommendations. He said that government is committed to the welfare of the workers and lakhs of them will benefit from this bill.<br/>