The Reserve Bank today bought bonds worth Rs 8,819.52 crore through open market operations

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(OMO), against a target of Rs 10,000 crore, as part of its strategy to infuse liquidity into the system.

Four securities were on offer for OMO and the RBI subscribed to all of them, the central bank said in a statement.

While government securities (G-Sec) maturing in 2018 with a coupon rate of 8.24 per cent garnered over Rs 475 crore, 8.20 per cent G-Secs maturing in 2022 garnered Rs 262 crore.

Furthermore, 9.15 per cent G-Secs maturing in 2024 mopped up Rs 5,901.10 crore and 8.28 per cent G-Secs maturing in 2032 garnered 2,181.41 crore.

With this, the central bank has infused nearly Rs 82,000 crore into the financial system in nine tranches in the last two months.

OMOs are the "first preference" of the RBI for injecting liquidity and there is an opportunity to raise up to Rs 2.74 lakh crore through the window.

RBI Deputy Governor Subir Gokarn had earlier said that liquidity is likely to be under pressure for some more time on account of factors such as advance tax payments.

Overnight drawings by banks from the RBI's liquidity adjustment facility have exceeded Rs 1,20,000 crore and it has said in the past that the deficit has exceeded its target of 1 per cent of net demand and time liabilities (NDTL).