The Reserve Bank governor Raghuram Rajan who has just 28 days more as governor, said he did not mind “snap judgements’ by critics and support. “What is important is that you feel you made an important contribution and I think I have done a fantastic job,” the outgoing RBI governor said.

Dr Rajan said that he had “enjoyed every min-ute and everyday as we met, we managed to move the needle a little more forward. There are few places where this could happen.”

Hoping that “there was some value added”, he said, “What matters is how these measures play out in the longer run for stronger and sustainable growth for the country, for employment creation, movement into a middle income country and these will be seen in five to six years.”

Asked at his post-credit policy announcement pre-ss meet what he thought of criticism of his stance on inflation by BJP MP Subr-amaniam Swamy., Dr Rajan said, “You have to take it.”

He recounted how during a flight people sitting in the rear of the plane would pass anonymous notes saying, “Thank you. You have done a good job.”

Dr Rajan, however, strongly defended his controversial public speeches as “perfectly legitimate” ones within the remit of a central bank head and asserted that he was never critical of the government in any instance.

“These are perfectly legitimate speeches. You can interpret them any which ways you want. In none of those speeches that I have made has there been an explicit criticism or an implicit criticism of the government. There are people who read the interpretation of what is the speech I have given,” he added.

“Some of those speeches have been on economic issues but outside the monetary policy. But those economic issues are perfectly within the remit of the central bank because ultimately we have a remit of macrostability,” he said.

Asked what he thought of reporters contacting his parents who live in Chennai, he said “They contacted my father and he spoke to them. It is not right to go after families.”

On his plans going forward, particularly since he had said that people will see a lot of him in India, Mr Rajan said “I will go back to my previous employment where I work at the University of Chicago.”

In India, he said he was associated with the Indian School of Business (IBS) and was involved in a lot of Indian courses.

‘Banks need an excuse’ RBI governor on Tuesday strongly chided the banks for not passing on rate cuts to the consumers and trotted out tone excuses after another to justify this.

He noted that “banks passed on rates “very modestly” despite enough liquidity in the system.

Dr Rajan did not conceal his anger when he said “Earlier, some bankers said it was lack of liquidity that was holding the rates high. Now I hear from some that it is the fear of FCNR redemptions that is making them reluctant to cut rates. I have a suspicion that some new concern will crop up once FCNR redemptions are behind us first.”

He, however, held out hope that with the economic recovery credit demand would pick-up and once banks clean up their balance sheets, banks would compete for their business.

Mr Rajan has cut rates by 1.25 per cent but banks have barely passed on 60 per cent of this. He has criticised them for this in almost every earlier credit policy announcement.

Mr Rajan said that they would shortly make some revisions to the marginal cost of lending rates to make transmission swifter after seeing its working since April 1.