Rs 11,639 crore, 2,616 villages: How India is rebuilding its border communities

New Delhi: India’s border villages are being transformed from remote and isolated settlements into vibrant centres of development and strategic partners in national security under the government’s Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP), which is being implemented in two phases with a combined outlay of Rs 11,639 crore, it was announced on Sunday.

The programme seeks to improve living standards and create sustainable livelihood opportunities in communities along the country’s international land borders by expanding road connectivity, electricity, telecommunications, healthcare, education and other essential infrastructure.

The government’s approach marks a shift in the way frontier settlements are viewed, with border villages being positioned as the country’s “first villages” rather than its last settlements. The programme seeks to ensure that thriving communities remain rooted in border areas, thereby contributing to stronger border security.

India shares more than 15,000 km of international land borders with seven neighbouring countries. The longest stretch is with Bangladesh at 4,096.7 km, followed by China at 3,488 km and Pakistan at 3,323 km. The remaining border stretches are shared with Nepal, Myanmar, Bhutan and Afghanistan.

For decades, difficult terrain, inadequate connectivity, limited infrastructure and a shortage of livelihood opportunities left several border villages isolated. These challenges also contributed to out-migration, leaving some frontier areas sparsely populated.

The Vibrant Villages Programme was launched in 2023 to address these longstanding challenges through comprehensive development of selected border settlements. The programme recognises border residents as an important component of the country’s security architecture and seeks to create vibrant, secure and prosperous communities along the frontier.

The programme is being implemented through VVP-I and VVP-II, which together aim to cover more than 2,616 villages along India’s international land borders. While VVP-I focuses on villages along the northern border, VVP-II extends the development approach to the country’s other international land borders.

The two phases have different implementation structures. VVP-I is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme implemented in partnership with the states, while VVP-II is a Central Sector Scheme funded entirely by the Centre. Despite the difference in funding and implementation, both phases focus on improving living conditions, strengthening local economies and empowering border communities.

VVP-I was announced in the Union Budget 2022-23 for villages along India’s northern border and was formally launched at Kibithoo in Anjaw district of Arunachal Pradesh on April 10, 2023.

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