Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) from Nagaland, S Supongmeren Jamir, has placed two key appeals before the Union Government, underscoring the state’s urgent needs in the areas of rural development and connectivity.

Firstly, Jamir highlighted the limited presence of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) in Nagaland. While Assam and Arunachal Pradesh have expanded their NABARD initiatives to cover wider areas, Nagaland continues to remain largely uncovered. Out of the 17 districts in the state, only 5 districts are currently covered through the Dimapur regional office with around 15 staff, while 4 districts are being managed by two Assistant General Managers without any supporting staff. This leaves 12 districts without proper NABARD establishments.

He has, therefore, urged the Union Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, to appoint the required staff and ensure that all districts of Nagaland are adequately covered under NABARD.

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Secondly, Jamir reiterated the long-standing demand for the extension of the BG Express (Train No. 15665) from Mariani Railway Station in Assam to Tuli Railway Station in Nagaland. He pointed out that the Nagaland Legislative Assembly had already adopted a resolution on April 30, 2025 regarding this matter, which was subsequently conveyed by the State Transport Department to the General Manager (Construction), NEF Railway, Maligaon, Guwahati on May 14, 2025. He emphasized that this is not a request for a new service but an extension of an existing passenger train on a railway line that has already been constructed but remains unutilised.

Jamir appealed to the Union Minister of Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw, to consider this demand on priority, as it would greatly benefit the people of Nagaland.

He expressed hope that the Government of India will address these issues at the earliest in the interest of balanced development and connectivity in Nagaland and the North Eastern region as a whole.