Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Amit Shah stressed on the need to provide employment opportunities to local residents and increase connectivity with villages to prevent migration from these border villages.
Chairing a high-level meeting in New Delhi to review the implementation of the programme, Shah asserted that the Central Government is committed to the all-round development of the border villages, the Ministry of Home Affairs stated. During the meeting, he also directed to continue the efforts being made by senior ministers and officials to better understand the issues of border villages under the Vibrant Villages Programme.
The Union Minister encouraged Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Army deployed around the border villages to purchase of local agricultural and handicraft products through cooperatives. He also said that the healthcare facilities of the Army and CAPFs should be regularly made available to benefit the residents of nearby villages. Further, he stressed upon maximum use of solar energy and other renewable sources of energy like windmills etc.
Under the ‘Vibrant Villages Programme’ scheme, 136 border villages are being provided connectivity through 113 all-weather road projects at a cost of ₹2,420 crore. 4G connectivity is being worked on rapidly in these areas and by December 2024, all villages under the Vibrant Villages Programme will be covered by the 4G network. Appropriate steps are being taken to ensure financial inclusion in all these villages and India Post-Payment Banks (IPPB) are also being facilitated there. Work is also being done to develop tourist circuits to bring vibrancy to these Vibrant Villages and promote tourism.
The Programme was launched on 14th February 2023 with an allocation of Rs.4800 crore. The Ministry informed that till date, over 6000 events have been organized in these border villages, which include about 4000 service delivery and awareness camps. More than 600 projects have been sanctioned by the Govt. of India for employment generation in these border villages.
