VIBRANT VILLAGES PROGRAMME

1. Context 

• The Strategically key Kibithu military garrison on the banks of Lohit Valley along the Line of Actual Control and a Key road in this mountain hamlet.
• The military garrison looks after the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the sensitive sector.
• Chinese People's Liberation Army's Rima Post is just opposite the Indian garrison.
• Nestled in the mountainous and arduous terrain of the Lohit Valley, Kibithu is located near the LAC and is the easternmost military garrison of India.
• The small hamlet is inhabited by Meyor and Jarkin Tribes. Recently It was named after India's first Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat.
• Lack of surface connectivity with the nearest road head at Meshai precluded movement to Kibithu which was air maintained till as late as 1997.
• A foot suspension bridge (FSB 17) was the sole link to the eastern bank of the Lohit River.
• The garrison is considered very important for its strategic location.
• Kibithu was first occupied by 2 Assam Rifles in December 1950 with one platoon. In 1959, the post was further strengthened with an additional Platoon.
• Kibithu endured the initial onslaught of Chinese aggression during the 1962 Sino-India War.

• This village development scheme was first announced in the 2022 Budget.
• The programme's targets are to provide comprehensive development of villages on the border with China and improvement in the quality of life of people living in identified border villages.
• The development in these villages will help prevent migration and thus also boost security.
• The Parliamentary Standing Committee in 2018 pointed towards backwardness, illiteracy and lack of basic facilities and infrastructure in our border areas. The VVP aims to address all these issues.

• Under this centrally sponsored scheme, 2, 967 villages in 46 blocks of 19 districts have been identified for comprehensive development.
• These villages border the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh and the Union Territory of Ladakh.
• In the first phase, around 662 villages have been identified for priority coverage.

• According to Shah, a population of about 1.42 lakh people will be covered in the first phase.
• Under the programme, the government has allocated Rs 4, 800 crores for infrastructure development and to provide livelihood opportunities in the border areas.
• Out of the total outlay, Rs 2, 500 crores will be spent exclusively on the creation of road infrastructure.
• The total outlay is for financial years 2022-23 to 2025-26.
• There is a conscious effort to not overlap VVP with the Border Area Development Programme.

• The scheme aims to identify and develop the economic drivers based on local, natural, human and other resources of the border villages as per a press release by the Ministry of Home Affairs on February 15, 2023.
• Development of growth centres on the "Hub and Spoke Model" through the promotion of social entrepreneurship and empowerment of youth and women through skill development is also one of the objectives of VVP.
• Moreover, the programme also intends to leverage tourism potential through the promotion of local, cultural and traditional knowledge and heritage in the border areas, thus increasing the employment opportunities of the people and as a result, stemming migration.
• Development of sustainable eco-agribusinesses on the concept of "one village-one product" through community-based organisations, cooperatives, SHGs, NGOs etc are also aimed.
• The district administration will prepare action plans with the help of Gram Panchayats for the identified villages to ensure 100 per cent saturation of Central and State schemes.
• The scheme envisages that drinking water, 24×7 electricity, connectivity with all-weather roads, cooking gas and mobile and internet connectivity be made available in the border areas.
• Special attention will be given to solar and wind energy, tourist centres, multi-purpose centres and health infrastructure and wellness centres.
• Under this programme, the development work of villages will be done at 3 levels.
• The Government of India will take care of the facilities of every person living in the villages and the benefits of various schemes will be delivered to the people.
• There will not be a single house in the border villages which does not have basic amenities.