The Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the Vibrant Villages Programme-II (VVP-II) as a Central Sector Scheme with full funding from the Centre. This initiative supports the vision of Viksit Bharat@2047, aiming for secure and thriving land borders. The programme will focus on developing villages situated in blocks near international land borders, excluding the northern border already covered under VVP-I.
With an outlay of Rs. 6,839 crore, the scheme will be implemented across strategic villages in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal until the financial year 2028-29.
The primary goal is to enhance living conditions and create sustainable livelihood opportunities, ensuring the prosperity and security of border areas. It also aims to curb trans-border crime and integrate border communities into national security efforts by making them active participants in safeguarding the region.
The scheme will fund infrastructure development within villages or village clusters, support value chain development through cooperatives and self-help groups, establish educational facilities such as SMART classrooms, and develop tourism circuits to generate diverse livelihood options. The interventions will be tailored to the specific needs of each village, following Village Action Plans prepared through a collaborative approach.
All-weather road connectivity for these villages will be undertaken through the already approved PMGSY-IV under the Ministry of Rural Development. A High-Powered Committee, chaired by the Cabinet Secretary, will consider necessary relaxations in existing scheme guidelines to ensure effective implementation in border areas.
The programme aims to achieve saturation in individual and household welfare schemes under convergence with existing norms and will focus on four key thematic areas: all-weather road connectivity, telecom connectivity, television access, and electrification.
To enhance the vibrancy of these villages, the programme will include activities such as fairs, festivals, awareness camps, national day celebrations, and regular visits by government ministers and senior officials, including night stays in these villages.
These efforts will boost tourism, promote local culture, and preserve heritage. Additionally, advanced technology and databases like PM Gati Shakti will be utilized for effective project implementation.
