New Delhi: With the stand-off with China extending beyond the third year, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) continued its emphasis on developing border villages and launched initiatives to upgrade communication networks and infrastructure.
At the start of 2023, the Cabinet approved the Vibrant Villages Programme with an aim to bring “comprehensive development” of 46 blocks in 19 districts of Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand and Ladakh.
Having an allocation of Rs 4,800 crore from 2022 to 2026, the scheme envisages upgrading the quality of life in border areas by creating income opportunities through skill development, entrepreneurship as well as development of cooperative societies and promoting tourism and cultural heritage to boost the economy.
The government also focussed on improving road and telecom connectivity to villages that lacked these facilities in a bid to reverse the migration there and thereby bolster security at the international border.
In April last year, Union Home Minister Amit launched the programme at Kibithoo village in Arunachal Pradesh where he announced that it would be implemented in two phases. While the first phase covers 11 districts, 23 blocks and 1,451 villages for which Rs 4,800 crore is allocated, the scheme is planned for 19 districts, 46 blocks and 2,963 villages across India.
Giving the year-wise breakup of the allocation, Shah’s deputy Nisith Pramanik had in August said that Rs 50 crore, Rs 1,200 crore, Rs 1,750 crore and Rs 1,800 crore were to be spent on development of border villages from 2022-23 to 2025-26.
In Ladakh, the MHA said that 294.50 km of road were built and 195.31 km of roads black topped. Eight new bridges, 30 helipads and two hangars were also constructed to improve connectivity in the union territory, it added.
In addition to road construction, the government is also focusing on enhancing infrastructure development in border areas to ensure better connectivity and security.
Overall, the MHA said that there was construction of 48.03 km of road, three helipads, and four border outposts (BOPs) along the LAC.
Telecom infra
In its statement on the annual report card Sunday, the MHA said that the cabinet approved a Rs 1,545.66 crore plan of upgrading the cellular network and mobile services in which 1,117 border intelligence posts (BIPs) or BOPs would get 4G telecom services.
A tripartite agreement was inked in July with the Department of Telecommunications and BSNL to facilitate 4G network services in the border areas. As of now, mobile network towers were installed at nine sites while foundation work completed at 34 sites.
Overall border infra development
Between January and November, the MHA’s Border Management-1 division built 184.391 km of roads along the borders with China, Pakistan, Nepal. While it was 48.03 km along the LAC, it was 16.297 km and 120.064 km along Bangladesh and Nepal.
Eighty-eight BoPs including 51 along the Nepal front, followed by 14 Bangladesh, 13 Bhutan, 6 Pakistan, and 4 China were constructed. In the same period, the ministry fenced 15.909 km along the Bangladesh border, 3 km along Pakistan and 2.402 km along Myanmar.
(Edited by Tony Rai)