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.
“
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.”
—-sd—-(V.K.Wadhawan)
Vice-President
