New Delhi, Apr 4: The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Friday approved the Vibrant Villages Programme-II (VVP-II) as a Central Sector Scheme for developing villages located along the country's international borders to enhance national security.

With a total outlay of Rs 6,839 crore, the programme will be implemented in select strategic villages in the States and UTs of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir (UT), Ladakh (UT), Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal till the financial year 2028-29.

The programme, with 100 per cent funding from the Centre, would help in the comprehensive development of villages located in the blocks abutting international land borders (ILBs), other than the Northern border already covered under VVP-I, according to an official statement.

The objective of the programme is to create better living conditions and adequate livelihood opportunities to ensure prosperous and safe borders, control trans-border crime and assimilate the border population with the nation and inculcate them "as eyes and ears of the border guarding forces", crucial for internal security, the statement explained.

The programme will provide funds for infrastructure development within the village or a cluster of villages, value chain development (through cooperatives, SHGs, etc), border specific outreach activity, education infrastructure like SMART classes, development of tourism circuits and works/projects to create diverse and sustainable livelihood opportunities in the border areas, the statement said.

The interventions would be border-specific, state and village-specific, based on Village Action Plans prepared in a collaborative approach.

All-weather road connectivity for these villages shall be undertaken under the already approved Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana-IV under the Ministry of Rural Development. A high-powered committee chaired by the Cabinet Secretary shall consider suitable relaxations in schematic guidelines for effective implementation of schemes in the border areas.

The programme aims to achieve saturation in existing individual and household-level welfare schemes in the identified villages under convergence as per scheme norms.

The programme also aims to saturate all villages in such blocks in four thematic areas, namely all-weather road connectivity, telecom connectivity, television connectivity and electrification through convergence under existing scheme norms.

The programme emphasises enhancing vibrancy in these villages by organising activities including fairs and festivals, awareness camps, celebration of National days, regular visits by Ministers, senior Government officers from Central and State/UT Government and night stays in such villages. This would boost the tourism potential and promote the local culture and heritage of these villages.

"Technology would be leveraged and information databases like PM Gati Shakti will be used for effective implementation of the project," the statement added.

(IANS)

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