Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun / New Delhi, 27 Mar: MP from Haridwar and former Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat raised an important question in Parliament regarding the holistic development of border areas. He sought detailed information on fund allocation, expenditure, and the status of infrastructure development in various states over the past three years under the Border Area Development Programme (BADP).
Through his question, he also inquired whether basic facilities such as roads, healthcare, and communication infrastructure in border villages have been completed, and whether the programme has been integrated with the Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP).
Responding in writing, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai clarified that BADP is being implemented in 16 states and 2 Union Territories, covering villages located within 0–10 km of international borders. Since 2004–05, more than 39,248 development projects have been approved, including roads, bridges, health centers, schools, anganwadis, and other social infrastructure.
The Minister further stated that Rs 168.90 crore has been released over the past three years under committed liabilities, and that BADP is currently in its sunset phase. In parallel, the Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP-I and VVP-II) has been launched for the comprehensive development of border villages, bringing thousands of villages into the mainstream of development.
Trivendra Singh Rawat emphasised that the development of border areas is extremely important from both national security and socio-economic perspectives. He stated that government initiatives would help ensure that development reaches even the last person in line.
He also highlighted that the Vibrant Villages Programme will significantly improve basic infrastructure, create employment opportunities, and enhance the standard of living in border villages, thereby helping to curb migration.
Expressing gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Ministry of Home Affairs, he said that under their leadership, border area development has received a new direction. He expressed confidence that in the coming years, India’s border villages will transform from being the “last villages” into the “first villages”.
