Thankful to PM Modi for Assam's Inclusion in Vibrant Village Initiative: Himanta Biswa Sarma
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Synopsis
On April 4, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for Assam's inclusion in the second phase of the Vibrant Village Programme, which aims to improve living conditions and livelihoods in border villages.
Key Takeaways
- Assam included in Vibrant Villages 2.
- Focus on controlling cross-border crime.
- Budget of Rs 6,839 crore for implementation.
- Development of infrastructure and livelihoods.
- Program aims for safe and prosperous borders.
Guwahati, April 4 (NationPress) Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday conveyed his appreciation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for incorporating Assam into the second phase of the Vibrant Village Programme after a cabinet decision by the Union government.
In a post on his X handle, Sarma stated, “We are thankful to Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi Ji for incorporating Assam in Vibrant Villages 2. We anticipate executing this initiative effectively.”
“As observed from the initial phase, this program has significantly contributed to curbing cross-border crime and integrating border villages into the national framework,” he further mentioned.
The Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Friday sanctioned the Vibrant Villages Programme -II (VVP-II) as a Central Sector Scheme (fully funded by the Centre), thus reinforcing its commitment to the vision of Viksit Bharat@2047 for ‘Safe, Secured and Vibrant land borders’.
This initiative aims to facilitate comprehensive development in villages situated in blocks adjacent to international land borders (ILBs), excluding the Northern border already addressed under VVP-I. With a total budget of Rs 6,839 crore, the program will be executed in selected strategic villages across the States/UTs of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, J&K (UT), Ladakh (UT), Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal until FY 2028-29.
The program's goal is to enhance living conditions and ensure sufficient livelihood opportunities to create prosperous and secure borders, mitigate trans-border crime, and integrate the border population into the nation, treating them as ‘eyes and ears of the border guarding forces,’ which is vital for internal security.
The initiative will allocate funds for infrastructure improvement within the village or clusters of villages, development of value chains (via cooperatives, SHGs, etc.), border-specific outreach activities, educational infrastructure like SMART classes, establishment of tourism circuits, and projects aimed at creating diverse and sustainable livelihood opportunities in border regions. These interventions will be tailored to the specifics of the border, state, and village, based on collaboratively prepared Village Action Plans.
