RBI boosts back-up, cuts staff attendance as Covid-19 infections surge

Banks await Centre's direction even as customers flock branches

The second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in Mumbai has prompted the central bank to beef up the back-up centres to carry out essential services such as payments systems, while cutting down on staff attendance at its head office.

The central bank has three back-up centres – two in adjoining Navi Mumbai and one in Nagpur, nearly 850 km away from Mumbai. Last year when the pandemic broke out, one of the centres was activated to ensure the financial system runs smoothly in the wake of a once in a century event.

The disaster management operations that were activated in