Union Home Minister said that borders can be permanently secured only when border villages are populated by patriotic citizens who are concerned for the country, asking the border-guarding forces to use the Vibrant Village Programme (VVP) for the same.

Vibrant Village Programme

• The program aims to improve infrastructure in villages along India’s border with China.
• Infrastructure will be improved in states like Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Arunachal Pradesh.
• Under the programme, residential and tourist centres will be constructed.
• It will also provide for improvement in road connectivity and development of decentralized renewable energy sources.
• Apart from that, direct access of Doordarshan and education related channels will be provided. Support will be provided for livelihood.

Key focus areas

• It focuses on livelihood generation, road connectivity, housing, rural infrastructure, renewable energy, television and broadband connections.
• This objective will be met by strengthening infrastructure across villages located near the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Need for such scheme

• The programme is a counter to China’s model villages but the name has been carefully chosen so as to not cause any consternation in the neighbouring country.
• China has established new villages along the LAC in the past few years, particularly across the Arunachal Pradesh border.
• While China has been settling new residents in border areas, villages on the Indian side of the frontier have seen unprecedented out-migration.

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