Centre identifies 11 model villages in NE

From a Correspondent

New Delhi, Nov 1: Identifying as many as 11 villages in the Northeast as model villages, the Central government has released Rs 1,981.92 lakh as fincial grants to develop these bordering villages.

As per government figures, Rs 600 lakh has been released for 3 villages in Manipur, Rs 1,167 lakh for 7 villages in Meghalaya and Rs 214.92 lakh for one village in galand during 2016-17.

“Strategically, it is really necessary to develop the villages bordering intertiol boundaries,” said a top Home Ministry official to The Sentinel.

The Centre is focusing on development of model villages under Border Area Development Programme (BADP) for consolidated development of border areas. However, the main objective of the BADP is to meet the special developmental needs and ensure wellbeing of the people living in remote and iccessible areas situated near the intertiol border, and to saturate the border areas with essential infrastructure through convergence of Central-State-BADP and local schemes.

The BADP is being implemented through State governments in 394 border blocks of 111 districts in 17 border States, mely, Aruchal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, galand, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.

“We also give attention towards fruitful implementation of this scheme. However, no difficulties have been brought to the notice of Government of India by the concerned State governments relating to development of model villages in border areas,” said the official.