Cabinet Approves Vibrant Villages Programme-II (VVP-II) for 2024-2029 to Strengthen Border Security and Development.
New Delhi:
In a significant move to bolster the development of border regions, the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the Vibrant Villages Programme-II (VVP-II). With a total financial outlay of Rs. 6,839 crore, the programme aims to enhance the infrastructure, livelihood opportunities, and overall living conditions of villages located in blocks along India’s international land borders.
The VVP-II, a 100% Central Sector Scheme, will be implemented across 16 States and Union Territories, including Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, and Punjab, until FY 2028-29. The initiative is designed to improve border security, foster socio-economic development, and ensure the integration of border communities with national progress.
The programme’s key objectives include creating better living conditions, promoting sustainable livelihoods, controlling trans-border crime, and strengthening internal security by engaging border communities as the “eyes and ears” of border guarding forces. A range of infrastructure projects, including all-weather roads, telecom connectivity, education facilities, and tourism development, will be undertaken based on Village Action Plans developed collaboratively.
Additionally, the VVP-II will prioritize enhancing tourism and cultural vibrancy in these areas through local festivals, fairs, and outreach programs. The initiative will also aim to ensure the saturation of welfare schemes for individual households in these villages under existing scheme norms.
VVP-II, together with the ongoing VVP-I, represents a transformative approach to making India’s border villages self-reliant and prosperous, contributing to the broader vision of a “Viksit Bharat” by 2047.
