Vibrant Villages Programme along China Border

• 25 Apr 2023

Recently, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), announced that it will integrate the Centre's Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP) with the Prime Minister Gati Shakti mega project.

• The integration is aimed at developing infrastructure and promoting tourism in villages along the China border.
• The integration will enable integrated planning and coordinated implementation of infrastructure connectivity projects and overcome operational challenges.
• One of the objectives of the VVP is to stop the migration of the border population.
• The scheme will cover 2,967 villages in 46 border blocks of 19 districts in four states and one Union Territory.
• The first phase of the scheme will cover 662 villages.
• ₹4,800 crore has been allocated for the financial years 2023-24, 2024-25, and 2025-26, with ₹2,500 crore for road construction.
• The Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geoinformatics (BISAG-N) in Gujarat will provide satellite images and GIS mapping for real-time monitoring of infrastructure and other land-use changes in the border villages.
• The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the nodal Ministry to implement the scheme, has asked states to organize activities such as fairs, festivals, cultural programs, and tourism-related activities in the villages identified for coverage on priority.