E-Paper
Centre, Himachal to review works under ‘Vibrant villages programme’
Himachal chief minister Sukvinder Singh Sukhu, Union power minister RK Singh and principal adviser (power) to the chief minister Ram Subagh Singh will hold a meeting at Chitkul, which is close to the China border, to assess the works under the ‘Vibrant villages programme’, which is aimed at countering China’s dual village programme.
Chief minister Sukvinder Singh Sukhu, Union power minister RK Singh and principal adviser (power) to the chief minister Ram Subagh Singh will hold a meeting at Chitkul, which is close to the China border, to assess the works under the ‘Vibrant villages programme’, which is aimed at countering China’s dual village programme.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sanctioned ₹4,800 crore in the Union budget for the ‘Vibrant villages programme’.
The Centre started the programme on February 17, 2023. Out of the total outlay, ₹2,500 crore will be spent on the creation of road infrastructure in the border areas. Union Energy minister RK Singh was earlier scheduled to visit Sikkim, but later decided to visit Himachal.
Singh reached Shimla and later flew to the Reckong Peo headquarters in Kinnaur. Sukhu directly reached Chitkul village. They interacted with the locals to understand their problems. After the programme in Chitkul, the Union minister will come to Kalpa rest house, where he will have a meeting with the CM on issues related to Himachal.
With China expanding its side, the Himachal Pradesh government will strengthen infrastructure in more than 200 villages close to the international border under the Centrally-sponsored programme in the tribal Lahaul & Spiti and Kinnaur districts.
Vibrant villages to counter dual Chinese villages
Kinnaur and Lahaul and Spiti district shares 240 km of the boundary with China which includes the 80-km stretch between Chumar in Lahaul and Spiti and 160 km from Daroti to Mumti Dogri in Kinnaur district. China is continuing to build the “double use” border village that can in-house the troops as well as local population. Indian intelligence agencies say 628 such villages, “dual-use villages”, have come up on the 3,448-km long LAC since 2017 in phases. Intelligence reports say that China is fastly strengthening its infrastructure along the border villages.
The vibrant villages programme will give a boost to infrastructure development and opportunities to enhance the livelihood of the villagers.
Under the programme, footbridges and helipads will be constructed in strategic regions. Drinking water facilities will be added along with irrigation facilities for farmers who would be given training in horticulture development, forestry, and organic farming. The government will strengthen health facilities in the tribal regions. The government will make provisions of mobile dispensaries in remote villages.
Concern over migration of youth
The Himachal Pradesh government has expressed serious concern over the migration of youth from the border villages. The state government had sent a team of the five police commandants of different battalions to forward areas after China escalated the standoff in the Ladakh sector for two years. The police in its report cited the lack of facilities in the border areas as one of the main reasons for the migration of youth. The lack of economic activities along the border was one of the main reasons for youth moving out of the border area. Former CM Jai Ram Thakur had also expressed concern over the “de-population’ of youth due to the lack of economic activities.
The Himachal government has been demanding more funds for developing transport and road facilities in the region. It has urged the Centre to construct a road between Brua in Kinnaur to Harshil in Uttarakhand to further connect the border areas of the two states.
