NEW DELHI: The government has intensified its focus on border area development with the rollout of the second phase of the Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP-II), aimed at strengthening infrastructure and livelihood opportunities in villages located along India’s international land borders.
The Vibrant Villages Programme-I (VVP-I), approved on February 15, 2023, as a centrally sponsored scheme, was launched with a financial outlay of Rs 4,800 crore for the period 2022-23 to 2025-26. The programme targets comprehensive development of selected villages in 46 blocks across 19 districts along the northern border in Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, and the Union Territory of Ladakh. In its initial phase, 662 border villages were identified for priority development. Junior minister of Modi’s cabinet Nityanand Rai shared these details in a written reply in the upper house of the Parliament.
The initiative focuses on improving quality of life and creating sustainable livelihood opportunities. Key interventions include promotion of tourism and cultural heritage, skill development, entrepreneurship, and strengthening of cooperative societies in agriculture, horticulture, and medicinal plant cultivation. Infrastructure development such as road connectivity, healthcare, education, renewable energy, and telecom services also forms a core part of the programme, aimed at encouraging residents to remain in these remote areas.
However, 263 tourism-related projects worth Rs 116 crore have been approved under VVP-I. These projects include development of viewpoints, eco-tourism facilities, adventure tourism activities, eco-resorts, trekking routes, and tourist centres.