MoS Dr Sukanta Majumdar in Northeast at Bankers’ Conclave 3.0

Union Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) and Education, Dr Sukanta Majumdar, called for faster expansion of banking services, greater access to credit and stronger coordination between banks and State Governments to accelerate economic growth in the Northeastern Region while addressing the North East Bankers’ Conclave 3.0 at Mizoram University in Aizawl .

Highlighting the progress in financial inclusion, Dr Majumdar said that 131 new bank branches have been opened and 126 ATMs installed across the Northeast. Of the 9,479 identified villages, 6,905 villages, or around 73 per cent, are now connected to a bank branch or India Post Payments Bank (IPPB).

To improve credit flow, Dr Majumdar called for bank-specific lending targets, regular reviews through State Level Bankers’ Committees (SLBCs), reliable land records, complete Aadhaar seeding of eligible CASA accounts and wider participation in PM SVANidhi. He encouraged banks to proactively examine viable loan proposals from farmers, MSMEs, women entrepreneurs and tourism enterprises. (UPDATED ON 14TH OCTOBER 2026)