New Delhi, Feb 19 (PTI) In an attempt to ensure vigilant citizenry in border areas, Union home minister Amit Shah will launch on Friday the second phase of the Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP), covering 1,954 border villages in 15 states and 2 UTs, officials said.
Designed to ensure comprehensive and sustainable development of border villages, the second phase of the VVP will be a centrally-funded scheme with an outlay of Rs 6,839 crore up to financial year 2028–29, a government statement issued on Thursday said.
The Union minister will launch the programme from Nathanpur in Cachar, Assam.
“It focuses on improving essential infrastructure, enhancing access to basic services, and creating sustainable livelihood opportunities, thereby fostering secure, resilient and prosperous border communities in alignment with the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047,” it said.
The VVP programme was sanctioned by the central government on February 15, 2023, covering 662 select villages in 46 blocks abutting the northern border in 19 districts in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand and Ladakh.
Under the VVP-I, 2,558 projects/works with an outlay of Rs 3,431 crore have been sanctioned by the MHA, and over 8,500 activities, including awareness drives, health and veterinary camps, fairs and festivals and promotion of tourism, have been undertaken.
On April 2, 2025, the Government gave nod to the second phase, identifying 1,954 villages abutting international land borders of 15 states and 2 UTs for comprehensive development, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai had said in a written response in Lok Sabha on February 3.
“By strengthening these villages, the programme also enables residents to act as the eyes and ears of the nation, thereby contributing significantly to border security, the prevention of cross-border crimes and the strengthening of internal security,” a statement issued on Thursday said. PTI ABS ABS AMJ AMJ
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