ITANAGAR, 10 Mar: The Arunachal Pradesh government will urge the Centre to expand the scope of the Vibrant Village Programme (VVP) to include villages at the India-Myanmar and India-Bhutan borders, Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein told the Assembly on Monday.
The programme, which replaced the previous Border Area Development Programme (BADP), focuses solely on the state’s northern border with China.
Responding to a query by independent MLA Laisam Simai, Mein said that the home ministry launched the programme on 10 April, 2023, and in the first phase, as many as 455 border villages across 11 districts of Arunachal are being developed.
“The ministry has sanctioned a total of Rs 2,205 crore for the construction of 105 roads spanning 1,022 kms, connecting 125 villages,” he said, adding that Rs 104.99 crore has been allocated for 187 developmental projects in 156 villages.
Mein admitted that several villages along the northern border remain excluded from the programme.
To address this, the state government has undertaken measures to incorporate these villages in various schemes under the development of north eastern region (DoNER) ministry and the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), besides state-level initiatives.
Mein also shared that the Centre has sanctioned 22 connectivity projects and 212 other infrastructure projects in the state under the Northeast Special Infrastructure Development Scheme (NSIDS).
Assuring the House of transparency in the execution of the VVP, Mein emphasised that its implementation is progressing smoothly.
“We have received unwavering support from the Centre in our developmental journey,” he said. (PTI)
