RBI buys bonds worth Rs 9,000 cr under OMO

As part of its strategy to ease the liquidity crunch, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) today bought bonds worth Rs 9,092.9 crore under its open market operations (OMO) against a target of Rs 10,000 crore.

Four securities were offered today as part of open market operations (OMO), the central bank said in a statement.

While the government security (G-Sec) maturing 2017 with a coupon rate of 8.07% garnered Rs 1,682.88 crore, 7.83% GS maturing on 2018 had garnered Rs 4,439.85 crore.

Similarly, the RBI purchased 8.13% GS of Rs 1,860.3 crore maturing at 2022 and 8.28% GS-2027 at Rs 1,109.83 crore.

The central bank had already infused liquidity worth Rs 15,218 crore in two tranches in the last 10 days. While it bought bonds worth Rs 9,435.48 crore under its open market operation on November 24, it infused Rs 5,782.95 crore on the first of December this year.

OMOs are the "first preference" of RBI while injecting liquidity and there is an opportunity to raise up to Rs 2.74 lakh crore through the window.

RBI Deputy Governor Subir Gokarn had last week said that liquidity is likely to be under pressure for some more time amid factors like advance tax payment.

Overnight drawings by banks from RBI's liquidity adjustment facility have exceeded Rs 1,20,000 crore and RBI had said in the past that deficit has exceeded its targeted 1% of net demand and time liabilities (NDTL).