RBI to continue Rs 20,000 cr OMO purchase auctions

Mumbai: The RBI on Thursday said it will continue to conduct open market operation (OMO) purchase auctions of Rs 20,000 crore, as well as OMOs in State Development Loans (SDLs) to support market sentiment and assure adequate liquidity. Since the announcements made after the Monetary Policy Committee meeting on October 9, the Reserve Bank has expanded the scale of outright open market operation purchases of Government of India securities from Rs 10,000 crore to Rs 20,000 crore per auction. It is also conducting OMO purchase auctions in SDLs.

The total amount of OMOs conducted in the second half of 2020-21 has been of the order of Rs 66,305 crore so far.

In a statement, the RBI said the response has been positive in both primary and secondary market auctions. "Accordingly, based on an ongoing assessment of liquidity conditions, the Reserve Bank will continue to conduct OMO purchase auctions in amounts of Rs 20,000 crore as well as OMOs in SDLs, along with other operations, to support market sentiment and assure adequate liquidity all along the yield curve," it said.

It also announced a simultaneous purchase and sale of government securities for an aggregate amount of Rs 10,000 crore each on next Thursday.

"On a review of the current liquidity and financial conditions, the Reserve Bank has decided to conduct OMOs involving a simultaneous purchase and sale of government securities for an

aggregate amount of Rs 10,000 crore each on November 12, 2020," it said.