• The Union Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the second phase of Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP-II), which envisages comprehensive development of select villages located along international borders.

• VVP-II is a Central Sector Scheme with 100 per cent funding by the Centre.

• The programme would help in the comprehensive development of the villages located in the blocks abutting international land borders (ILBs), other than the northern border already covered under VVP-I.

Highlights of the programme:

• The objective of the programme is to create better living conditions and adequate livelihood opportunities to ensure prosperous and safe borders, control trans-border crime and assimilate the border population with the nation and inculcate them ‘as eyes and ears of the border guarding forces’, crucial for internal security.

• With a total outlay of Rs 6,839 crore, the programme shall be implemented in select 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 till 2028-29.

• The programme shall provide funds for infrastructure development within the village or a cluster of villages, value chain development through cooperatives, SHGs, etc, border specific outreach activity, education infrastructure like smart classes, development of tourism circuits and projects to create diverse and sustainable livelihood opportunities in the border areas.

• The interventions would be border-specific, state and village specific, based on village action plans prepared in a collaborative approach.

• All-weather road connectivity for these villages shall be undertaken under the already approved Rural connectivity under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY-IV) under the Ministry of Rural Development.

• A high-powered committee chaired by the Cabinet Secretary shall consider suitable relaxations in schematic guidelines for effective implementation of schemes in the border areas.

• The programme aims to achieve saturation in existing individual and household level welfare schemes in the identified villages under convergence as per scheme norms.

• The programme emphasises enhancing vibrancy in these villages by organising activities including fairs & festivals, awareness camps, celebration of national days, regular visits by ministers, senior government officers from central and state/Union territory government and night stays in such villages.

• This would boost the tourism potential and promote the local culture and heritage of these villages.

• Technology would be leveraged and information databases like PM Gati Shakti shall be used for effective implementation of the project.

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