Banking regulator, Reserve Bank of India is planning to start more offices in the north eastern region so as to keep a better check on the performance of nationalised as well as regional rural banks.

"RBI has decided to open its sub-offices in six northeastern states - Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and Meghalaya - in a phased manner," Tripura Finance and Public Works Development Minister Badal Choudhury said.

"After the opening of RBI offices in northeast region, the monitoring and functioning of the nationalised, regional rural banks and private banks in the region by the central bank would be further improved," Choudhury said.

"We have been demanding for more RBI offices in the region for the past 12 years to improve the credit deposit ratio, providing advances and financial support to the people of the region," the minister added.

"It is unfortunate that despite intervention from the union finance ministry, the credit-deposit ratio for the commercial banks in the region has remained at a level of around 30 percent over the past many years. This should be raised to at least 50 percent by 2010-11," Chowdhury said.

He also insisted that nationalised banks should set up more branches in the region.