E-Paper
Shah reviews progress of ‘Vibrant Village Programme’ along China border
In the meeting, Shah emphasised the regular availability of healthcare facilities from the Army and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) for border village residents
New Delhi: Union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday held a meeting with officials from the ministry of home affairs (MHA), including the Union home secretary, secretary for border management, and director general of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), to expedite and assess the development initiatives under the Vibrant Villages Program for border villages.
The Centre launched the Vibrant Village Programme on February 17, 2023, aiming for the comprehensive development of select villages along the country’s northern border with China, including Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Ladakh, and Arunachal Pradesh.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced the programme in the Union budget 2022-23 and sanctioned Rs.4,800 crore for development in 2,963 villages.
MHA officials present in the meeting said that under the programme, over 136 villages have all-weather roads, while all 2,963 border villages are set to receive 4G connectivity and banking services by the end of 2024.
According to the MHA, 6,000 events, including 4,000 service delivery awareness camps, have been organised in these border villages.
The Government of India has sanctioned over 600 projects to generate employment in these areas. MHA officials also stressed the importance of timely reviews to address pending issues.
“...With a budget of Rs.2,420 crore, 136 border villages have been connected with all-weather roads. By December 2024, all villages are expected to have 4G network services”, an official present in the meeting said, adding that India Post Payments Bank is also established to provide banking services at the doorstep, a facility previously limited to urban areas.
The program also focuses on promoting tourism by enhancing infrastructure and building capacity to attract tourists to these remote areas, said the official. The Union home minister has directed officials to continue efforts to better understand and address the issues faced by border villages under the Vibrant Villages Programme, he added.
In the meeting, Shah emphasised the regular availability of healthcare facilities from the Army and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) for border village residents. He also stressed the importance of promoting solar energy and other renewable sources like windmills in these villages.
“The Government of India is determined to ensure the all-round development of the border villages,” Shah posted on X, praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also mentioned that the CAPFs and the Indian Army are advised to purchase agricultural products and handicrafts to support the local industry of these villages.
Out of the allocation of Rs.4,800 crore, Rs.2,500 crore will be spent on creating road infrastructure in the border areas on priority.
The programme also serves as a counter-response to China’s “double use” border village program, which can house troops as well as the local population. Indian intelligence agencies report that 628 such dual-use villages have emerged along the 3,448-km-long Line of Actual Control (LAC) since 2017 in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and the Union territory of Ladakh.
