Hitguj October 2014 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING As notified in the 15th August 2014 issue of HITGUJ, a Special General Meeting (SGM) of the members of the Reserve Bank Retired Employees' Association, Mumbai, was held on Saturday, the 27 th September 2014 as scheduled at Damodar Hall, Parel, Mumbai; to ratify the composition of the New Managing Committee endorsed by the Managing Committee at its Meeting held on 30 th June 2014which was chaired by Shri SVMahadik, Executive President. The Special General Meeting was presided over by Shri SV Mahadik, Execu tive President. After detailed deliberations and discussions, Shri S V Mahadik moved a resolution to the effect that the composition of New Managing Committee, as endorsed by the Managing Committee, be ratified by this Meeting. The resolution which was seconded by Shri L R Parab, Vice President, who is now the new the new General Secretary, was adopted by the SGM unanimously. Shri R P Donde, President, appealed to the members to donate a day s pension to the Prime Minister s Relief Fund for the flood affected victims of Kashmir. About 300 members attended the meeting. The names of the new Managing Committee members will be published in the next issue of HITGUJ. A LETTER TO GOVERNOR Shri T G Nair, General Secretary, All India Reserve Bank Retired Employees' As sociation, has addressed a letter todr. Raghuram G Rajan on 18 th Septemb er 2014 congratulating him on his performance for having successfully completed year as Governor, as well as the needful steps initiated by him which resulted in strengthening the economy as well as enhancing the image and prestige of the great Institution and also conveyed the Association's deep appreciation of ceaseless efforts made by him so far, despite his very busy schedule, to resolve thelong pending issue of 'Updation of Pension'. Copies of this letter were circulated in the Special General Meeting and have also been sent to all units including All India office bearers. WELL DONE! Pursuant to a discussion in the Special General Meeting held on 27th September 2014 at Damodar Hall, Parel, Mumbai, each of the following six members of our Association, all of whom are members of
Madhukunj Co-op. Housing Society of Borivali, have directly sent their donation of Rs. 1,000/- (about one day's pension) for the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund, in aid of the flood victims of Jammu and Kashmir. We hope that other members will also follow them. 1. Shri R V Borkar, 2. Shri R P Donde, 3. Shri M B B Rao, 4. Shri S I Narasimhan, 5. Shri S H Katti, 6. Shri Y J Gadgil RBI's OFFICES IN BOMBAY (now Mumbai) P P Ramachandran, Kalina A Senior Executive from RBI rang me up to find out if RBI had an office near the Taj Mahal Hotel. Yes. I declared and I have visited that Office. It was the BRO (Bombay Regional Office) of DBOD located in Ashok Mahal behind Regal Cinema. We had an office of IFD (Industrial Finance Department) in Commercial Manor at Masjid Bunder -very busy crowded godown area with goons brandishing knives. Once there was a fire in the adjoining Mirchi Godown and staff was asked to report after three days till the smoke and dustsettled down. Employees had to walk through stinking lanes with flowing gutter water and offal. Several representations were of no avail. Then one day an RBI Officer was stabbed and bleeding. He came in his bloodied shirt to the Deputy Governor. And then only went to the BMO. The very next day that office was closed. I worked in Johnny Castle, near the Colaba Bus Station which housed Economic Department. One day, the ceiling of ground floor rooms collapsed, fortunately at 9.30 a.m. If later - a few would have died. Staff stood outside demonstrating for one full week - refusing to enter the building. Staff were asked to sign the muster outside the building and left at 11.15 a.m. This went on for one week. The Economic Adviser came and pacified us.
Next day we shifted temporarily to the Economic Department in Amar Building But there was no place to sit. We could wander! I spent most of the time in adjoining Asiatic Library. We finally moved to Sidhwa House in Colaba. Some more buildings with R B I Offices collapsed partly. One was in Cowasji Patel Street, next to BLITZ Office - the Poddar Chambers. This Office had no toilet for Ladies. They have to go the Main Building for this. Imagine the plight of those whose needs are very urgent! Another was in Perin Nariman Street - Makani Manzil, I think the IFD was housed here. You could see the collapsed portions rather remains from Amar Building. Makani Manzil too had no proper Toilet facilities! Staff would come to Amar Building across the road. A fourth one was Shriniketan Chambers in Worli. ARDC was housed here. During office time the ceiling collapsed. Happily the staff could run away. For five long years I worked in ARDC. A singular advantage was that it was located within three minutes' walk from the "Lotus Theatre". This theatre screened art films from 12.30 to2.00 p.m. Alas! L otus Theatre is demolished! Due to flooding in Marshall Building in Ballard Estate the Economic Department Library lost over 5,000 valuable books. DESACS located in Novelty Chambers had all windows closed -- not because of A.C. - The opposite building was a house of prostitutes. The location was near a red-light area of Bombay. The Office of the Banking Commission was in Malabar Hill - known as White House - the bungalow of Shri R G Saraiya. Though in a fabulous location, the office did not provide for tea / coffee /food - and for a week there was no water! Obviously tiny Hotels are unavailable in such an area. Staff came to all Departments shouting slogans. White House is a Black House, White House Black House. The Agricultural Credit Department was in the Garment House in Worli. The building got this name as it was owned by the biggest laundry in Bombay - viz. Garment Cleaners.
Giant cleaning machines thundered in the ground floor. The three upper fl oors were overwhelmed by noise. And occasionally suffered from mild tremors. One advantage which should not be overlooked! The Garment Cleaners offered fifty per cent discount to all RBI Staff. Delivery of clothes given at 10 a m in the morning was given at 4 p m without fail. One could witness the unedifying spectacle of RBI Staff residing in Santacruz Quarters, travelling by contract bus, bring in the morning fat bundles of dirty clothes and returning in the evening withneat packets of clean - well washed and well ironed clothes. They regretted the closure of the Laundry! City Ice Building, behind the Old Main Building, had two floors where the staff of Division of Publications of Economic Department worked. If you climbed down the building you turned right intoan Alley that led up to the French Bank Building. This Alley bristled with swarthy African sellers of dope, hashish and drugs. Happily no RBI employee was dragged into their net. The City Ice Building - had an Ice factory where fish was preserved and there was always an overpowering smell of fish. DICGC had its Office - Phatak Wadi in Picket Road near Metro Cinema. The staff in that Office was considered blessed for within two minutes' walk they could earn the blessings of the SwayambhuHanuman. This temple is 155 years old and popular with ministers, bureaucrats, police officers and celebrities. There were offices in Khatau Mansion, Engineering Centre at Opera House which housed UTI before delinking, Bombay Life Building near Akbarally's at Flora Fountain, New IndiaCentre at Cooperage near Regal, also an Office in Eros Building. I have not included the more popular structures like Amar Building, Byculla (Bombay Central) Office, WTC- World Trade Centre, Free Press House, Mercantile Bank Building and RBI'sthree buildings at B K C Bandra Kurla Complex. I conclude with a happy nostalgic event. The late Shri V A Mahimkar, eminent Trade Unionist and leading light of RBI Staff Credit Cooperative Society, distinctly recalled being taken by his father towatch a Circus in the ground where the RBI Main building was constructed! LETTERS FROM MEMBERS
A Big Thank You! Payment of my Membership dues were long outstanding for which I sincerely apologise. As a self-imposed punishment, I am enclosing a cheque for Rs. 21,000/- (Rupees twenty one thousand only)towards Life Membership (Rs.500/-), Hitguj Subscription (Rs.500/-) and Fighting Fund (Rs.18, 000/-). I am grateful to the office bearers and other activists of our Association who are striving hard for improvements in various facilities for the Retirees. I hope that they will enjoy long life, good health andhappiness. - Smt. Sushama Nerurkar, Borivali (E) This is the highest amount towards fighting fund so far received by the Association from an individual Member. Three cheers for Smt. Nerurkar. Hip, Hip, Hurray! Publisher COLLECTION OF LIFE CERTIFICATE Arrangement to issue Life Certificates has been made in Nerul in Navi Mumbai on 8th and 9th November at the following address: Shri Chandrakant More, A/105, Ruparel Gardens CHS Ltd, Sector 23, Nerul (East), Navi Mumbai - 400 706; opp. Havare Centurion, Near Seawoods / Darave Railway Station (East). Shri Sumant B Dohale & Smt. Gaurangi S Dohale, both Asst. Managers, have agreed to assist the members for acquiring the Life Certificates. Shri S G Keluskar (9967774220) and Shri Chandrakant More (9819421165) are the coordinators. Pensioners / Family Pensioners may come personally to the venue with duly completed Life Certificate Form SUBMISSION OF LIFE CERTIFICATE Shri A B Joshirao from Dombivali has pointed out that although under the caption of 'Submission of Life Certificate', it has been mentioned that Retirees may please note to submit only their own life certificate forms. Forms of their other RBI colleagues will not be accepted.., they have no objection in collecting Life Certificates of those RBI colleagues who have got their Life Certificates already certified either by a doctor or a commercial bank manager.