E-Paper
Modi makes special mention of village development scheme along China border
The Vibrant Village Programme covers the border areas of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, and Ladakh
In his 90-minute Independence Day speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday made a special mention of the Vibrant Village Programme aimed at the comprehensive development of select villages along the country’s northern border with China. The programme covers the border areas of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, and Ladakh.
“These villages were called the last villages of India. We have changed that mindset,” Modi said. “That village at the border is not the last village. It is the country’s first village. When the sun rises in the east, the villages there receive the first rays. And when it sets, the last rays fall on the villages on the other side.”
Modi said that 600 heads of these border villages came to Delhi to attend the 77th Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort. Of the 25,000 people, who attended the celebrations, 1,800 people, including the village heads and workers involved in the Central Vista project, were special guests in line with the government’s vision of Jan Bhagidari or people’s participation.
According to the home ministry, the focussed areas of intervention in the border villages include economic growth, road connectivity, housing, village infrastructure, energy including renewable energy through solar and wind power, television and telecom connectivity, promotion of tourism and culture, and skill development.
The programme is a centrally sponsored scheme announced in the Union budget 2022-23 and covers 2,963 villages.
China has built hundreds of xiaokang, or moderately prosperous, villages across the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in areas stretching from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh, with some of the new settlements coming up in proximity to strategically important positions on the Indian side.
Satellite imagery of LAC in recent years has shown that China has constructed several such villages along its disputed frontiers with India.
India is developing border villages in Arunachal Pradesh as tourist hubs through a civil-military partnership as an answer to China’s xiaokang, HT reported in April. The idea is to not only boost the local economy and stop migration from border villages to the cities but also assert India’s dominance near the border at a time when there is volatility along the contested border.
Earlier, upon his arrival at the Red Fort, Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Ajay Bhatt and defence secretary Giridhar Aramane received Modi. Aramane introduced the General Officer Commanding (GoC), Delhi Area, Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth to Modi. The GoC conducted Modi to the saluting base where a combined inter-services and Delhi Police Guard presented a general salute to him.
Modi then inspected the Guard of Honour. He later proceeded to the ramparts of the Red Fort where he was greeted by Singh, Bhatt, chief of defence staff General Anil Chauhan, army chief General Manoj Pande, navy chief Admiral R Hari Kumar, and Indian Air Force (IAF) chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari. The GoC then conducted Modi to the dais to unfurl the national flag.
After the unfurling, petals were showered by two indigenously built Dhruv advanced light helicopters Mark-III of the IAF. Modi delivered his address to the nation immediately after.
