Modi influencing RBI's toilet policy - Livemint

A RBI spokeswoman confirmed that the decision had been taken at a meeting on 2 October chaired by governor Raghuram Rajan as part of the Swachh Bharat campaign. Photo: Pradeep Gaur/Mint

Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi ’s Swachh Bharat campaign has led to a small but noticeable change at the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) headquarters in Mint street.

The top brass of the RBI, which like all other government offices met on 2 October to take the ‘cleanliness pledge’, has decided to change an old tradition in the central bank’s main office building at Fort, Mumbai.

The RBI building at Fort for many years now has had a separate toilet marked for ‘executives’ which is used mainly by officers.

These toilets had some special facilities like towels and tissue papers and some automated facilities which were not available in the separate toilet meant for employees who were not ‘officer grade’.

In a meeting chaired by governor Raghuram Rajan as part of the Swachh Bharat campaign, it was decided that this practice will henceforth be discontinued and all facilities so far extended to only ‘officers’ will be extended to all employees.

A RBI spokeswoman confirmed that the decision had been taken at a meeting on 2 October. The meeting was attended by all the four deputy governors and also executive directors.

“This was one of the decisions taken after the meeting. The governor also spoke about ensuring that we keep our place of work clean by keeping files in order and making sure that even emails are not clogged. There will also be a cleanliness campaign in RBI staff quarters, starting with one of our quarters in Mumbai Central,” the spokeswoman said.

Samir Ghosh, general secretary of the All India Reserve Bank Employees Association (AIREA), a trade union of staff, said: “This practice of having separate toilets was a British legacy and we welcome its discontinuation. This is the right step towards a more egalitarian RBI.”