Union Minister for Communications and Development of the North Eastern Region Jyotiraditya M. Scindia has urged banks to extend their services to remote areas and work more closely with communities to support development in the Northeast. Speaking at the Northeast Bankers’ Conclave 3.0 at Mizoram University Auditorium in Aizawl, Scindia said the region had considerable potential to contribute to the country’s growth and called on banks to do more for local communities.

 

He said the Centre had taken several steps to develop the Northeast under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. Praising Mizoram’s literacy rate of nearly 100%, he also spoke of the state’s forests, natural beauty and pleasant climate, which he said could attract more visitors.

 

Scindia said the extension of railway services to Sairang marked an important step in Mizoram’s development. The Bairabi-Sairang railway line would make travel easier, improve connectivity with other parts of the country and help bring more tourists to the state, he said. Scindia said digital transactions accounted for 90.2% of transactions in the Northeast, compared with 81% across the country. He said the figures showed that the region was making progress in the use of digital technology.