India is engaged in a significant drive of development of the strategic frontiers of the country, and as part of this development, 91 border villages of Uttarakhand on the China and Nepal borders are to be developed into model villages according to the Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP). An elaborate progress report on all the targeted villages has been presented to the Rural Development Minister of the state, which is a great milestone in the introduction of the grand development project.
The Central Government has initiated the programme to reverse the trend in migration against remote borders by enhancing infrastructure, service delivery to people, as well as creating new livelihood opportunities. Uttarakhand is one of the most sensitive states in India, which has its borders with other countries, and that has made this state one of the centres of focus of this initiative.
Among the 91 villages chosen, 51 lie along the Indo-China border, which is mostly distributed in the districts of Pithoragarh, Chamoli, and Uttarkashi. The other 40 villages bordering Nepal, which are scattered in Champawat, Udham Singh Nagar and Pithoragarh. Low connectivity, difficult geography and lack of economic opportunities have long been the bane of these regions, and over the decades, there has been a constant migration of the population to the plains.
The government has now aimed at aligning that story by investing selectively. These villages have a development plan of better road connectivity, enhanced healthcare and learning institutions, use of clean drinking water, enhanced digital coverage, and tourism and local industries. The traditional crafts, horticulture, home-stay tourism, and small-scale agricultural support will also likely generate a sustainable village-based economy.
Besides the physical infrastructure, the authorities would seek to maintain and encourage the cultural and social heritage of these mountain settlements. Enhancing housing, sanitation, community centres, training facilities, and access to the markets will be important in achieving long-term growth.
The programme is also developmental and strategic. The better network of well-populated border villages brings about a tighter civilian presence in frontier regions, which enhances the security of the nation and assists India in having increased watchfulness and responsiveness of sensitive border belts. Empowering the local economies also makes sure that the families will not be inclined to move to find livelihood, and this makes the region dynamic, busy, and safe.
Having already been financially sanctioned and plans being implemented, officials are hopeful that these villages will become a modern-day model of sustainable development of the mountains. When this is implemented, the Vibrant Villages Programme will not only enhance livelihood standards in these remote settlements but will also provide a precedent of balanced growth in border areas in India.
