Scindia meets ITBP personnel in Uttarakhand’s Dharali

Scindia also addressed a public meeting and said that the dream of holistic and inclusive development of border villages will soon be fulfilled through the Vibrant Villages Programme

Union minister for civil aviation and steel Jyotiraditya M Scindia on Tuesday met Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel during his visit to Uttarakhand’s Dharali as part of the government’s Vibrant Villages Programme.

Union minister for civil aviation and steel Jyotiraditya M Scindia in Uttarakhand’s Dharali. (Twitter)

He applauded the work of the ITBP personnel guarding India’s border and said thanks to their sacrifices, the country can sleep peacefully.

Scindia also addressed a public meeting and said that the dream of holistic and inclusive development of border villages will soon be fulfilled through the Vibrant Villages Programme. In a tweet, he said he was briefed about government schemes implemented in the area.

The programme was announced in this year’s Union budget to improve infrastructure in remote habitations primarily along the border with China. It seeks to ensure that residents do not leave villages in search of economic opportunities in urban areas.

The programme was announced against the backdrop of the Chinese setting up model villages along borders with India and Bhutan.

In her budget speech in Parliament on February 1, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said border villages with sparse populations, limited connectivity, and infrastructure often get left out of the development gains. “Such villages on the northern border will be covered under the new Vibrant Villages Programme.”