On Monday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched the ‘Vibrant Villages Programme’ (VVP) in Kibithoo village of Arunachal Pradesh’s Anjaw district. The village shares borders with China and Myanmar. The VVP aims to execute development projects in 2967 villages in 19 districts located near international borders in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and the Union Territory of Ladakh. The central government has allocated Rs 4,800 crore for the VVP, including Rs 2500 crore exclusively for road connectivity for the next four financial years (2022-23 to 2025-26).
455 villages in Arunachal Pradesh have been identified for priority coverage under the scheme’s first phase, out of the 662 border villages in four states and the Union Territory of Ladakh. The comprehensive development of the identified border villages will be carried out to improve the quality of life of people living in border villages and encourage them to stay in their native locations, which will add to the security of the border.
The focus areas of interventions identified for the development of villages include road connectivity, drinking water, electricity, mobile and internet connectivity, tourist centres, multi-purpose centres, healthcare infrastructure, and wellness centres. Shah stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made conceptual changes with all-round development, making India’s last village the country’s first village.
Shah inaugurated nine micro-hydel projects of the Arunachal Pradesh government constructed under the ‘Golden Jubilee Border Illumination Programme.’ These projects would generate 725 kilowatts of electricity and have been set up at a cost of Rs 30 crore. The Home Minister also inaugurated Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) projects to augment infrastructure at Likabali (Arunachal Pradesh), Chapra (Bihar), Nooranad (Kerala), and Vishakapatnam (Andhra Pradesh). Shah interacted with ITBP troopers at Kibithoo and witnessed exhibition stalls organized with the products made by women members of Self-Help Groups of border districts.
On April 11, the Union Home Minister will visit Namti field and pay homage at the Walong War Memorial.
