NEW DELHI: Faced with a belligerent China, the government will now give development and connectivity push to remote villages nestled along the northern border of India. Under the Vibrant Villages Programme, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, the focus will be on villages that are located in isolated regions and often overlooked during the process of development.
India and China share 3,488 km of border that runs along Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. Some of the villages in these areas do not even have mobile connectivity, while regular power supply is just about reaching a few.
Of late, China is trying to fortify its territorial claims by building villages in the territories of India and Bhutan where the boundaries are not demarcated. After setting up these habitations close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC), Beijing calls them as “model villages”.
“Border villages with sparse population, limited connectivity and infrastructure often get left out from the development gains. Such villages on the northern border will be covered under the new Vibrant Villages Programme,” Sitharaman said.
“The activities will include construction of village infrastructure, housing, tourist centres, road connectivity, provisioning of decentralised renewable energy, direct to home access for Doordarshan and educational channels, and support for livelihood generation.” Additional funding for these activities would be provided and existing schemes converged, she added. ‘‘ We will define their outcomes and monitor them on a constant basis.’’
Focus will be on post offices as well as offering banking solutions and financial inclusion to the people living there. From the point of villagers, such an initiative is expected not only make life easier for them but also discourage migration from these areas. Strategically, a substantial population in such areas works well for the government as it helps fortify settlements in case the need arises.
The recent episode involving an Arunachal teenager Miran Taron, who was allegedly abducted by the PLA on January 18 from Lungta Jor area, highlights the urgent need to develop the villages around the border. Though the teenager was reunited with his family, his father said Miran got mentally disturbed after the torture he faced throughout the incident.
‘‘The new vibrant village programme will help in the development of the border villages, which will also help in boosting the defence of the country,’’ Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister tweeted after the government unveiled the plan in Parliament.
Khandu’s deputy Chowna Mein also welcomed the initiative. ‘‘The new vibrant village programme will help in development of the border villages in Northern India,’’ he tweeted.
Strategic as well as holistic plan for borders
With India looking at China with an eye of suspicion due to its activities, the programme is focused on securing, perhaps, the first line of defence in remote areas. In Kargil, it was nomadic sheepherders who had alerted the army of intruders. The policymakers in Raisina Hill have now come up with a plan that will hopefully go a long way in securing the borders of the country.
Task force on gaming, visual effects to be set up
The government announced setting up of a task force to recommend steps for promotion of animation, visual effects, gaming, and comic (AVGC) sector. The sector offers immense potential to employ youth, the Finance Minister said. “An AVGC promotion task force with all stakeholders will be set up to recommend ways to realize and build domestic capacity for our markets and global demand.”
Single window portal Parivesh for project clearance
The scope of single-window portal PARIVESH, launched for giving green nod to projects, will be expanded to give information to the applicants. The portal was launched in 2018. It will enable application for all four approvals through a single form, and tracking of the process through Centralized Processing Centre-Green. With the new role, it is expected to further reduce the time required for approvals.
E-passports with embedded chip to be rolled out
In line with international rules, India will issue e-passports from next year for more convenience to the public. The new age passports will have embedded chips and futuristic technology. The new features are said to make the passports free from tampering attempts. The digital passport will facilitate greater security for personal data as well as smoother immigration process, according to the MEA.
New scheme to be launched for growth in region, Finance Minister proposed
to launch a new scheme PM Development Initiative for North East (PM-DevINE) to promote the growth of the region. The scheme will be implemented through the North-Eastern Council. It will fund infrastructure and social development projects based on felt needs of the region to enable livelihood activities for youth and women, filling the gaps in various sectors, the minister said.