News Highlight
Cabinet approves Centrally Sponsored Scheme- “Vibrant Villages Programme” for the Financial Years 2022-23 to 2025-26.
Key Takeaway
- The scheme would offer to finance for constructing critical infrastructure and creating job opportunities in 19 districts and 46 border blocks in four states and one UT along the northern land border.
- It will aid in promoting inclusive growth and maintaining residents in border areas.
- The programme will include 663 villages in its initial phase.
Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP)
- About
- The Finance Minister’s Budget Address 2022 unveiled the Vibrant Villages Plan (VVP).
- VVP aims to improve infrastructure in communities along India’s border with China, in states such as Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Arunachal Pradesh.
- The VVP’s activities include the construction of infrastructure like homes, tourism centres, and road connectivity.
- As well as the provision of decentralised renewable energy, direct-to-home access to Doordarshan and educational channels, and assistance with livelihood generating.
- The programme envisions covering border settlements on the Northern border with sparse populations, weak connectivity, and infrastructure frequently left out of development advantages.
- VVP proposes the convergence of existing schemes.
- The communities on the northern border covered by VVP are being finalised.
Features of the Scheme
- The Vibrant Villages Programme assists in identifying and developing economic drivers based on local natural human resources.
- Other border village resources on the northern border and the expansion of growth hubs based on the “Hub and Spoke Model”.
- Encouragement of social entrepreneurship.
- Youth and women empowerment through skill development and business.
- Increasing tourism potential through promoting local culture, traditional knowledge, and heritage.
- Creation of sustainable eco-agribusinesses based on the “One Villa” concept.
Significance of the Scheme
- Inclusive growth
- It will help achieve inclusive growth.
- Retaining population and reversing migration
- It would encourage people to stay in their native places along the border, reversing out-migration from these villages and boosting border security.
- Sustainable growth
- It is part of the government’s attempts to encourage sustainable development in rural India and make it self-sufficient.
Border Area Development Programme [BADP]
- Aim
- The BADP project aims to saturate border areas with all necessary infrastructure by combining all Central, BADP, State, and Local schemes in a participatory manner.
- Significance
- BADP has created a favourable environment for regular economic activity in border areas.
- It can improve the quality of life for people living in border areas.
- The initiative was critical in areas where there was cross-border infiltration and insurgency threats, such as Jammu & Kashmir and the North-Eastern Areas.
- The development of infrastructure would aid in integrating these areas with the hinterland.
- As well as creating a favourable perception of care by the country and encouraging people to remain in border areas.
- It results in safe and secure borders.
- As a result of socioeconomic improvement in border communities.
- Furthermore, it increases confidence and belonging among border residents.
Pic Courtesy: Sambad English
Content Source: PIB