We reproduce here the self explanatory contents of our letter
dated 7th December 2015 addressed to the Governor, Sh. Raghuram G.
Rajan, regarding curtailment of Holiday Home facilities to RBI retirees.
Holiday Home
"
The retirees from Reserve Bank of India all over the country were hitherto availing of the facility of the VOFS (Visiting Officers Flats) / THH(Transit Holiday Homes) / HH(Holiday Homes)
for the purpose of staying while on tour in the various parts of the
country where the RBI has its offices / branches on all days subject to
availability. The facility was extended even to the places of tourist
importance where the RBI had acquired holiday homes for its employees.
However, it has come as a shock to us and all our members that the Bank
has now issued instructions to curtail / restrict these facilities for
Holiday Homes to weekdays only excluding Saturdays/Sundays/Holidays. This virtually amounts to stopping/ withdrawal of the facility unilaterally.
It
would be pertinent to note that with the meagre resources of help from
their kin, the retired employees make tour programs for visiting
different parts of the country at one go and a tour lasting a week or
more always includes Saturdays, Sundays, and Holidays. As such, denial
of the facility for these days will in reality be denial of the facility
for all days.
According
to the latest information, total staff strength in RBI has come down to
16671 from about 38000. However, the number of Holiday Homes which the
bank had acquired was keeping in view the strength of 38000. This amply
shows that as a matter of fact, the necessity of lesser working staff
can very well facilitate continuance of the facility for retired
employees on all days, without affecting in any manner the requirement
of working employees of the Bank.
Thus,
the decision to restrict the visit of retirees is regressive. It seems
to represent a thinking where the senior citizens are considered as dead
wood, not requiring any comfort vis-à-vis working employees. Please do
not forget that all working employees will be retired employees, one day
in future.
It
may not be considered as our advice or sermon, but we feel that the RBI
Management should emulate Government Ministries/Departments like
Railways, Airlines, MTNL, Hospitals, and even Courts who are providing,
among other amenities, extra facilities to their retired employees and
senior citizens to travel and stay on tour on liberal terms in
Government guest houses / circuit houses on all days subject to
availability.
We,
therefore, request you as the Head of the RBI family, to have
sympathetic consideration for retirees who are already suffering
monetarily due to denial of Pension updation. And, please be kind enough
to restore the facility available to retirees, who were once working
employees, on all days. We earnestly hope and trust that the curtailed
facility will be restored forthwith so that we may not be forced to
highlight injustice done to our members who are retired employees in any
other forum inclusive of social media.
Awaiting for a positive response soon in the matter."
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(V.K.Wadhawan)
Vice-President
