Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman onThursday said that investor sentiment has not been dampened by anti-CAAprotests and the recent Delhi violence.

Holding a press conference at Hotel Vivanta by Taj, Khanapara in Guwahati, Sitharaman pointed out that setting up bank branches in remote areas especially in tea garden areas besides empowering the rural populace financially will lead to greater financial inclusion.

She held a detailed interactive session witheconomists, academicians, policy experts, tax experts and various other opinionleaders regarding the salient features of the Budget.

The FM asked the public sector banks to open its branches in tea garden areas within a period of 40 days. She also said the investors she met in her recent visit to Saudi Arabia expressed willingness to invest more in the country.

The Finance Minister has arrived in Guwahati onThursday. During her visit to Assam, Sitharaman met with industryrepresentatives, trade bodies, investment bankers and interact with them onvarious themes and provisions in the Union Budget 2020-21, presented inParliament on February 1, 2020.