Bagmita Borthakur
(PhD Research Scholar, BITS Pilani)
Bishaldeep Kakati
(Assamese Advisory Board Member, Sahitya Akademi. He can be reached at deep.kakati99@gmail.com)
In the Union Budget of 2022-23 (to 2025-26), the Central Government introduced an innovative and carefully conceived scheme known as the Vibrant Village Programme, aimed at transforming the overall scenario of villages along India’s northern border and significantly enhancing the quality of life for residents in these identified border villages. Union Home Minister Amit Shah in his recent speech in the Parliament mentioned his visit to Kibthu village in the Anjaw district of Arunachal Pradesh, where he informed the villagers about the government’s decision to recognise their village as the “first village” rather than the “last village” of the country. He further described the tremendous enthusiasm this decision generated among the villagers. With the implementation of this programme, the government aims to significantly enhance educational, healthcare, and employment opportunities, ultimately improving the livelihoods of the inhabitants of border villages and reframing their identity from ‘the last mile’ to the first.
Over the years, border regions have often lacked essential facilities, leading residents to migrate elsewhere. This pattern of migration adversely affects these strategic areas, posing security concerns as sparsely populated villages become vulnerable. Highlighting this issue, Deepak Pabing, the nodal officer of Arunachal’s East Kameng Seppa, stated, “There are several uninhabited villages after migration. Such areas can be easily captured by the enemy.” Addressing these concerns directly, the Vibrant Village Programme, under the close watch of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, was formulated to tackle the root causes of migration from border villages. This scheme was introduced as part of the strategic vision laid out by the government to consistently emphasise border development as a national priority. As such, with the scheme of the Vibrant Village Programme, the central government was keen to boost the lifestyle of the inhabitants of the border villages by providing ample opportunities to them in terms of education, health and employment.
The working of the Vibrant Village Programme scheme has contributions both from the centre and the state, as 90% of funds for the programme come from the centre and 10 per cent from the states. In the first phase of its implementation, as many as 19 districts and 46 blocks with selected villages have been covered. As many as 662 villages have been adopted so far under this scheme, out of which 455 villages are from Arunachal Pradesh, 75 from Himachal Pradesh, 51 from Uttarakhand, 46 from Sikkim and 35 from Ladakh. Further, in the second phase, the centre has planned to cover the entire border. The Ministry of Home Affairs plays a crucial role in ensuring security-aligned development in these strategically sensitive regions.
In terms of infrastructure development to enhance the ease of accessibility for the dwellers of the villages, a number of major projects have already been completed, and a few are on the verge of being completed. 8,500 kilometres of road and more than 400 permanent bridges have been constructed by the Border Roads Organisation. The Centre has also started the Kilo Volt Leh Electricity line to connect the border areas of Ladakh with the National Electricity Grid alongside providing high-speed internet to over 1500 villages through the Bharat-Net Broadband Project, and according to reports, more than 7000 border villages have already been connected with internet connection in the last four years alone. The focus has also been laid on promoting tourism in the border areas for the overall development of the region, and data reveals that from 2020 to 2023 there has been an increase in footfall of tourists in Ladakh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh by 30 per percent. Apart from these, under the working of this scheme, 901 projects have also been approved under the road sector. In fact, an amount of Rs 312 crore has already been spent on these projects, including the completion of the work of connecting 136 villages in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Uttarakhand, and 113 roads and eight LSB projects are on the verge of being completed. Furthermore, for the proper execution of the scheme, as many as 17 central ministries, 92 IAS officers and 256 state officers spent 48 hours in all these villages that have been adopted, which further helped in the blooming of 4G connectivity, road connectivity and several livelihood schemes. In fact, the upgradation process has led to 127 villages being electrified and has also led to providing electricity to 474 villages for the first time. The home minister’s sustained involvement is to ensure that inter-ministerial coordination remains seamless, particularly in high-altitude and logistically difficult zones. Thus, the Vibrant Village Programme scheme has considerably changed the outlook of the border villages of India adopted under the scheme.
The efforts of the government to change the overall scenario of the border villages of India under the scheme have slowly but steadily borne fruit, as the villages now look vibrant in terms of connectivity, accessibility, popularity and employment opportunities. Reports suggest that because of this change in the outlook of the border villages, almost 30 per cent of the population have returned to their specific villages in Arunachal. Moreover, this scheme has further improved the tourism potential of the region as well. These villages now provide ample opportunities for tourists in terms of adventure tourism, eco-tourism, eco-resorts, and tourist centres. They have also made it feasible for tourists to visit those places in the region that couldn’t be explored in yesteryears. The development in the tourism sector and the increase in the number of tourist footfalls have further multiplied the employment opportunities for the locals of the region.
Another positive that has come up after this policy has been undertaken is the establishment of cooperation between the locals and the army and the ITBP personnel. The army and the ITBP personnel now have the luxury of getting fresh and locally produced food at a lower price from the farmers of the villages, and in that way, the farmers have also been able to enjoy a stable source of livelihood. Not to forget the fact that apart from connectivity, electricity and other benefits, the villagers have also been able to enjoy the medical facilities, as all the ITBP and army medical installations have been opened for the villagers.
The Vibrant Villages Programme stands as a transformative initiative with the potential to redefine the future of India’s border villages. The recent strides made under this programme reflect a renewed focus and commitment towards regions long overlooked. If the current pace and dedication are maintained, these villages can indeed emerge as models of development and prosperity in the coming decade, fulfilling the vision of the Prime Minister of India.