The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, inaugurated a workshop on the ‘Vibrant Villages Programme’ in New Delhi. The workshop was attended by Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Nityanand Rai, Shri Ajay Kumar Mishra, Shri Nishith Pramanik, Union Home Secretary, DG, ITBP, District Collectors, District Development officers of the border districts, and senior officers from the Ministry of Home Affairs and other Central ministries.
In his address, Shri Amit Shah highlighted that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has envisioned the ‘Vibrant Villages Programme’ to ensure that every border village receives all necessary facilities similar to any other village in the mainland. He mentioned the efforts made by the government since 2014 to improve border infrastructure and introduce welfare schemes for border villages. The ‘Vibrant Villages Programme’ aims to halt migration from these border villages.
Shri Amit Shah urged the District Collectors in border districts under the programme to undertake at least five initiatives each year in every border village. These initiatives should focus on tourism, employment generation, agriculture, handicrafts, cooperatives, basic facilities, and achieving 100% saturation of Central and State schemes. He emphasized the promotion of home stay facilities as part of the programme.
The Home Minister highlighted the potential for employment generation through cooperatives in villages under the ‘Vibrant Villages Programme.’ He suggested that at least 30% of the daily expenditure of ITBP (Indo-Tibetan Border Police) should be linked to rural employment opportunities. Shri Shah stressed the need to establish connectivity with 168 unconnected border villages in four states and union territories.
Shri Amit Shah mentioned that the Government of India has invested over Rs 25,000 crore in border infrastructure in the past nine years. Border roads spanning 1,134 kilometers have been constructed, and most check-posts have been completed. He emphasized three main approaches to develop border villages, including ensuring 100% saturation of government welfare schemes, promoting financial inclusion, and encouraging digital and sentimental connectivity with the rest of the country. Priority should be given to Vibrant Villages in the mapping of schemes at both the central and state levels.
The Home Minister stated that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has always emphasized that border villages are not the last villages of the country but the first villages. He highlighted that the security of borders is a priority for the government and is directly linked to national security. Developing Vibrant Villages adds an extra layer of border security. The concept of the programme aims to prevent migration from border villages while providing them with development and security.
Shri Amit Shah proposed adding an ‘I’ to the ‘Vibrant Villages Programme,’ making it ‘VVIP’ or ‘Very Very Important Programme.’ He emphasized that for decades after Independence, citizens in border villages were left behind in the development process. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the time has come to provide inclusive development and basic facilities such as drinking water, electricity, and healthcare to all citizens of the country.