Itanagar: Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein announced that Arunachal Pradesh will request the Centre to expand the Vibrant Village Programme (VVP) to include villages along the India-Myanmar and India-Bhutan borders. Currently, the VVP, which replaced the Border Area Development Programme (BADP), is focused solely on the state’s northern border with China.
Responding to a query from Independent MLA Laisam Simai, Mein explained that the Home Ministry launched the programme on April 10, 2023. The first phase of the project is working to develop 455 border villages across 11 districts in Arunachal Pradesh.
The programme has sanctioned Rs 2,205 crore for the construction of 105 roads spanning 1,022 km, which will connect 125 villages. Additionally, Rs 104.99 crore has been allocated for 187 developmental projects in 156 villages.
While addressing the issue of excluded villages along the northern border, Mein acknowledged that some villages remain outside the scope of the VVP. He assured that the state government has initiated efforts to bring these villages into various central and state-level schemes through collaborations with the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) and the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).
Mein also shared that the Centre has sanctioned 22 connectivity projects and 212 infrastructure projects under the Northeast Special Infrastructure Development Scheme (NSIDS) for Arunachal Pradesh.
He assured the assembly that the Vibrant Village Programme is progressing smoothly and confirmed that the government is committed to transparency in its execution, expressing gratitude for the Centre’s support in the state’s development.
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