Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Aug 26: Union home minister Amit Shah emphasized the strategic and developmental significance of India's border villages, asserting that those selected early under the Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP) will play a vital role in strengthening national security.
Speaking at the inaugural session of a two-day VVP workshop in New Delhi, Shah lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of redefining the nation’s perception of border areas. “By calling the last village of the country the first, PM Modi has transformed our approach toward these settlements,” he said.
The Vibrant Villages Programme, launched to uplift remote border villages, is not just about infrastructure, but about turning these locations into pillars of national defence, Shah stressed. He announced that all essential government schemes—both central and state—would be extended to residents in these villages to ensure a comprehensive improvement in their quality of life.
The Home Minister also unveiled the official logo of the VVP at the event, which was attended by key officials, including Union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar, the Home Secretary, Director of Intelligence Bureau, security force chiefs, and District Magistrates of border districts.
Shah outlined three core goals of the programme:
1. Preventing migration from border villages.
2. Delivering full benefits of government schemes to every citizen in these areas.
3. Transforming villages into strong instruments of national security.
He further said that Phase 1 of the programme was largely structural, but Phase 2 requires a shift in administrative mindset—calling for dynamic, proactive governance in these critical regions.
One of the more pressing concerns Shah addressed was the issue of illegal religious encroachments near border zones. He urged district collectors to act swiftly to remove such encroachments within a 30-kilometre radius of the border, describing them as deliberate and potentially harmful developments.
Highlighting a successful example, Shah praised Gujarat for effectively removing illegal constructions along both land and maritime borders, setting a precedent for other states.
The Vibrant Villages Programme aims to integrate development, cultural preservation, employment through tourism, and improved infrastructure, while simultaneously creating social and territorial resilience in India’s most remote and strategically critical regions.