VIBRANT VILLAGE PROGRAM (VVP)

Why in News?

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah addresses the 62nd Raising Day ceremony of ITBP as the chief guest in Dehradun, Uttarakhand. Shri Shah said that recently Prime Minister Modi has presented a new concept to the country through the Vibrant Village Programme. Earlier, the village situated on the border was known as the last village of the country, but Prime Minister Modi went there and said that this is not the last village, but the first village of the country. Shri Shah said that Prime Minister Modi ji has initiated the Vibrant Village Programme with the approach of not only sustaining the population of villages situated on the border but also increasing it and providing facilities like other parts of the country. Shri Shah said that in the first phase of this programme, the Modi government has worked to streamline electricity, roads, employment, skill development, education and health for 662 villages of 46 blocks in 19 districts with a budget of Rs 4800 crore.

What is Vibrant Village Program?

Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP) approved on 15 February, 2023, as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, envisages comprehensive development of identified villages in 46 blocks abutting northern border in 19 districts of Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand and UT of Ladakh.

The programme includes both components of Central Sector Schemes (CS) as well as Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSSs) in the identified focused areas of intervention for creation of opportunities for livelihood generation through promotion of tourism & cultural heritage, skill development & entrepreneurship and development of cooperative societies including agriculture/horticulture, cultivation of medicinal plants/herbs etc. The interventions also include providing road connectivity to unconnected  villages, housing & village infrastructure, energy including renewable energy, television & telecom connectivity.

The objective of the programme is to finance the funding gap in the coverage of existing schemes and 100% saturation of Central Sector, Centrally Sponsored and State Government Schemes exclusively for the focus areas of interventions in the identified villages so that there are sufficient incentives for the people to stay on in the border areas villages.

Vibrant Village Action Plans will be created by the district administration with the help of Gram Panchayats. There will not be overlap with Border Area Development Programme.