RBI to get its own office space at Goa’s Patto Plaza in three years

PANAJI: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has started the process to build a dedicated office space in Goa, with RBI governor Shaktikanta Das laying the foundation stone for a new building that will come up on a 2,020sqm plot at Patto Plaza.

The RBI building is expected to be completed in three years and could be designed as per Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) norms, officials said. The RBI’s Goa office currently operates from a rented premises in a privately-owned building at Patto.

The challenges that lie ahead are the timely construction of the office building while at the same time, the construction should be environment-friendly and energy efficient, without compromising on the quality and structural soundness, said Das, who was in Goa for a brief visit to lay the foundation stone.

The Economic Development Corporation, the state-run non-banking finance company, allotted the plot to the RBI for Rs 30.3 crore, excluding GST and stamp duty. The plot near the LIC divisional office was initially sold to Air India, but was never utilised. The EDC has allotted the plot on long lease to the RBI and the ownership continues to remain with the EDC. The RBI will also pay the EDC an annual rent for the plot.

Speaking at the event, Das said that despite the challenges posed by the Covid pandemic, the RBI has pro-actively managed to provide stability to the economy and also to the banking system by undertaking several conventional and unconventional measures.

RBI officials said that the construction contract for the office building has been given to the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) and that the building will have an “iconic” design.