Days after China's renaming drama, India to launch 'Vibrant Village' scheme in Arunachal's 455 border hamlets
By Anish Kumar | First Published Apr 9, 2023, 9:50 AM ISTThe Vibrant Village programme aims to strengthen and further improve basic amenities in the border villages along the line of actual control (LAC) to stop outmigration from the areas.
Days after China renamed 11 places in Arunachal Pradesh, including mountain peaks, rivers and residential areas – claiming them as part of its southern Tibet, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will launch the 'Vibrant Village Programme' in Anjaw district's Kibithoo, a strategically important hamlet for India, on April 10.
However, India sharply rejected China's claim and stated Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of it. Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had said: "This is not the first time China has made such an attempt. We reject this outright. Arunachal Pradesh is, has been, and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India. Attempts to assign invented names will not alter this reality."
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Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein, in a Tweet, had said: "Villages near China border at Mipi Circle in Dibang Valley Dist are witnessing reverse migration, villagers are returning to native villages owing to better road connectivity. This is the outcome of GoAP's effort in creating basic facilities and livelihood in the border villages."
He also shared a graphic, which states: 'Enhancing Border Regions Advancing Arunachal. Berali, Abali, Induli and other villages in the Mipi circle of the Dibang Valley district are now connected with pukka roads. More than five households have returned back to these villages.'
What is the Vibrant Village programme?
The Vibrant Village programme is a centrally-sponsored scheme announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her 2022 Budget speech in Parliament, aimed to strengthen and further improve basic amenities in the border villages along the line of actual control (LAC) to stop outmigration from the areas.
The government had allocated Rs 4800 crore, including Rs 2500 crore for road connectivity for the Financial Years 2022-23 to 2025-26.
As of now, the government has identified 2967 villages in 46 blocks of 19 districts in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh and the Union Territory of Ladakh.
In the first phase, a total of 663 villages have been identified for priority coverage, which includes 455 villages in Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh 75, Ladakh 35, Sikkim 46 and Uttarakhand 51.
Under the Vibrant Village Programme, the government will be focusing on better road connectivity, supply of drinking water, 24x7 electricity supply, including solar and wind energy, mobile and internet connectivity, tourist centres, multi-purpose centres, healthcare infrastructure and wellness centres.
Shah will be on a 2-day visit to Arunachal Pradesh, wherein he will also inaugurate nine Micro Hydel Projects of the Arunachal Pradesh government constructed under the 'Golden Jubilee Border Illumination Programme' in Kibithoo.
On April 11, the minister will also inaugurate Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) projects to augment infrastructure at Likabali (Arunachal Pradesh), Chapra (Bihar), Nooranad (Kerala) and Vishakapatnam (Andhra Pradesh).
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