Home › Circulars › RBI/2013-14/535

Year-End Govt Account Closing: Extended Hours for Agency Banks

Current · Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2013-14/535 · issued 26 Mar 2014 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI directs agency banks to keep counters open till 8 PM on March 29 and 31, 2014, and select branches on March 30 and holidays, to handle year-end government transaction rush. Electronic transactions continue till midnight March 31.
The rule, in the simplest words
How it plays out — a real example

On March 29, a senior officer named Ramesh at the Jaipur branch of an agency bank greets a farmer who has come to pay his land tax. Because the bank’s counter is open until 8 PM, Ramesh helps the farmer complete the payment at 7:45 PM, making sure the farmer’s tax is recorded before the year ends. Ramesh smiles and says, ‘We’re here to help you finish on time!’

What changed

RBI mandated extended banking hours (till 8 PM) on March 29 and 31, 2014, for government business at designated branches. On March 30 and holidays, banks may open select branches as regular working days at key locations based on transaction volume.

What it means for you

Banks must staff and secure branches for extra hours to process tax and revenue receipts for central and state governments. This ensures no government transaction is delayed due to year-end rush, but adds operational cost and compliance burden for agency banks.

What you must do

Who it affects

All agency banks handling government business, Designated branch managers and staff, Taxpayers and government revenue collectors, RBI's Department of Payment and Settlement Systems

❓ Common questions

Are all branches required to stay open till 8 PM on March 29 and 31?

No, only designated branches conducting government business at locations where March 31 is not a public holiday must keep counters open till 8 PM.

What about electronic transactions on these days?

All electronic transactions for government business will continue till midnight on March 31, 2014, regardless of branch hours.

Do we need to open branches on Sunday, March 30?

It is optional but recommended at key locations with high transaction volumes. Banks should decide based on local needs and give due publicity.

📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2013-14/535 DGBA.GAD.No.H - 5430/42.01.029/2013-14 March 26, 2014 The Chairman & Managing Director / Chief Executive Officer All Agency Banks Dear Sir / Madam, Annual Closing of Government Accounts – Transactions of Central / State Governments – Special Measures for the Current Financial Year (2013-14) We have been requested by the Government of India and some State Governments to facilitate collection and accounting of government transactions (such as receipts of taxes and revenue) for the current financial year (2013-14) up to March 31, 2014 keeping in view the likely rush of tax-payers towards the end of March 2014. Accordingly, it has been decided that all agency banks shall keep the counters of their designated branches conducting government business open for extended hours till 8.00 P.M. on Saturday, March 29 and Monday, March 31, 2014 at locations where March 31, 2014 has not been declared as a public holiday. 2. Further, on Sunday, March 30, 2014 and on Monday, March 31, 2014 (at places where holiday has been declared), agency banks may keep select branches open as a regular working day for transacting government business at key locations identified by them, based on volume of transactions. All electronic transactions would however continue till midnight on March 31, 2014. Banks may give due publicity about availability of banking facility for government business on these days. 3. As regards conduct of extended clearing sessions / operations on these dates, separate guidelines are being issued by our Department of Payment and Settlement Systems, Central Office, Mumbai. Yours faithfully (K. Ganesha) Deputy General Manager
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2013-14/535 · issued 26 Mar 2014. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
🧰 Tools — save, print, templates & related
Most relevant forBranch Manager — Private Bank / SFBTeller / Cashier / Customer Service OfficerBranch Operations (Accounts / FD / CASA)Branch Manager — PSU / Co-op / RRB (sanctioning powers)Compliance TeamMarketing / Business Development
🛠 Banker’s toolkit — checklists & reply templates →
Related circulars · Government & Bank Accounts
Extended Remittance Timeline for Govt Revenues from Remote AreasMaster Circular on Broker Appointment & Brokerage for Relief/Savings BondsMaster Circular on Broker Appointment & Brokerage for Relief/Savings BondsNew Non-Assessee Codes for EASIEST: Banks Must Update SystemsRevised Penal Interest Rules for Delayed Govt Revenue Remittances
Browse all departments →
Who does what — compliance checklist
🏦 Branch Manager
  • Keep designated government business counters open till 8 PM on March 29 and 31, 2014, at non-holiday locations.
  • Open select branches on March 30 and holiday locations on March 31 as regular working days for government transactions.
  • Publicize extended hours and special branch operations to taxpayers through local media and branch notices.
⚙️ Operations
  • Coordinate with RBI's DPSS for extended clearing sessions on these dates as per separate guidelines.
Grouped from the action items above — a single circular may involve more than one team.
Worked example & action-note template

Example: if you are a Branch Manager at a bank this circular applies to (All agency banks handling government business, Designated branch managers and staff, Taxpayers and government revenue collectors, RBI's Department of Payment and Settlement Systems), your first concrete step on “Year-End Govt Account Closing: Extended Hours for Agency Banks” is: “Keep designated government business counters open till 8 PM on March 29 and 31, 2014, at non-holiday locations.” (RBI issued this 26 Mar 2014).

  1. Circular: RBI/2013-14/535 -- Year-End Govt Account Closing: Extended Hours for Agency Banks
  2. Issued: 26 Mar 2014
  3. Action required: Keep designated government business counters open till 8 PM on March 29 and 31, 2014, at non-holiday locations.
  4. Action required: Open select branches on March 30 and holiday locations on March 31 as regular working days for government transactions.
  5. Action required: Publicize extended hours and special branch operations to taxpayers through local media and branch notices.
  6. Action required: Coordinate with RBI's DPSS for extended clearing sessions on these dates as per separate guidelines.
  7. Owner: ____________ Target date: ____________
  8. Board/committee approval needed? Y / N
  9. Evidence filed in compliance register on: ____________
Built only from this circular’s own published fields — not legal advice; always confirm against the official RBI source.

💬 Banker Discussion

Discuss this circular with fellow bankers — reply, upvote what helps, report what doesn’t belong. Be professional; no client data. Views are the commenter’s own, not BankPulse’s.

Loading comments…
BankPulse Compliance Evidence Pack — generated 03 Aug 2026 · status cross-checked against RBI’s official withdrawal register (refreshed weekly).
Official RBI source: https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=8790&Mode=0 — Plain-English summary by BankPulse (bankpulse.ai), reviewed by our expert reviewer, CA Amit Jain. Independent platform, not affiliated with the Reserve Bank of India; is our own plain-English paraphrase, not RBI’s original wording.
Public beta — plain-English informational summaries. Always verify against the official RBI source (circular number cited on every page) before making compliance, credit, treasury, audit, or operational decisions. · Join our WhatsApp channel ↗
—