During stay, Ministers to spend night in houses of locals
Villagers to be taken into confidence in infra development
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Mar 8: The Central Government has decided that all Union Ministers will visit border villages under the Central Government’s ‘Vibrant Villages Programme’ and spend at least one night there to address people’s issues and ensure that the villages are developed as per the people’s aspirations.
“A decision to this effect has been taken by the Government to ensure that not only grievances of the border villages are redressed but the people have a say in development of the villages,” official sources told the Excelsior.
As per the ‘Vibrant Villages Programme’, the Central Government proposed to build infrastructure, tourism and ensure other requisite facilities in a total of 1400 identified villages in five States and Union Territories including Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, all of which have the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.
The ‘Vibrant Village Programme’ will serve twin purpose. The infrastructure development in the border villages will help troops deployed on the LAC or close to the LAC and ensure better life for the people.
“A number of villages identified under the Programme have potential for development of tourism including in the Union Territory of Ladakh. The infrastructure development like construction of roads and generation of other needed facilities will attract the tourists in the villages benefiting the people economically,” sources said.
Infrastructure development in the border villages, as per sources, will also ensure that the people stay there and chances of their migration to urban and semi-urban areas are minimized. The Ministry of Defence has repeatedly been describing the border villagers as “strategic assets”.
The activities will include construction of village infrastructure, housing, tourist centres, road connectivity, provisioning of decentralized renewable energy, direct to home access for Doordarshan and educational channels and support for livelihood mission.
“Existing schemes (in the border villages) will be covered and the Government will define their outcomes and monitor them on a constant basis,” sources said.
The populated villages along the LAC will help the troops stationed along the China borders as the villagers keep an eye on each and every movement of the enemy and can inform the security personnel in case of any adverse movement, sources said.
“Visit by the Union Ministers to the border villages and their staying in the houses of locals at least for one night will not only boost morale of the people but will also ensure that development works identified in the areas are executed by the administration at the earliest,” sources said.
Moreover, they added, visits by the Ministers will be followed by tours by the concerned administration. The villages will be developed taking the local people fully into confidence.
Construction of roads and covering all houses with power and water facilities will be minimum requirements followed by other works of development including the requirement for attracting the tourists, as per the sources.
The Union Cabinet had on February 15 this year approved the Centrally-Sponsored ‘Vibrant Village Programme’ for financial years 2022-23 to 2025-26, under which holistic developmental works are to be undertaken in northern bordering villages with an outlay of Rs 4,800 crore.
The programme will cover 662 villages in the first phase, where job opportunities will be created to curb migration of local population and sustainable economic activities will be encouraged.
It will lead to infrastructure development in four States and one Union Territory along the northern borders.
The scheme aids to identify and develop economic drivers based on local, natural, human and other resources of the villages on the northern border and development of growth centres on “Hub and Spoke Model” through promotion of social entrepreneurship, empowerment of youth and women through skill development and entrepreneurship.
“Border villages with sparse population, limited connectivity and infrastructure often get left out from the development gains. Such villages on the northern border will be covered under new Vibrant Villages Programme,” sources said.
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