The Union Cabinet recently approved the raise of seven new battalions of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and allocated Rs 4,800 crore under the Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP) to strengthen the social and security framework along the China border. This move is aimed at solidifying the security grid at the Line of Actual Control (LAC). In addition, a significant infrastructural development, a 4.1-km Shinku-La tunnel, was approved to provide all-weather connectivity to Ladakh.
Security Enhancement with Additional ITBP Battalions
Aiming to bolster the security at the LAC, the decision to raise seven new ITBP battalions will provide the ITBP personnel with much-needed opportunities for rest, recuperation, and training. This has been identified as crucial considering the imperative need for effective monitoring in the border areas. The security upgrade and financial aid to border villages come when conflict along the LAC in Ladakh with China remains unresolved.
Vibrant Villages Programme: An Overview
The Vibrant Villages Programme is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, introduced in the Union Budget 2022-23 (to 2025-26), with an aim to develop the villages on the northern border and improve the quality of life of local residents. Covering the border regions of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, and Ladakh, the VVP will encompass 2,963 villages, with the first phase covering 663 villages.
Under this scheme, Vibrant Village Action Plans will be formulated by district administrations in collaboration with Gram Panchayats. It has been assured that there will be no overlap with the Border Area Development Programme.
Main Objective of the Vibrant Villages Programme
The Vibrant Villages Programme primarily seeks to identify and encourage the unique economic drivers of these border villages. It aims to create growth centers employing a ‘hub-and-spoke model’, promote social entrepreneurship, and enable the empowerment of local youth and women through skill development and entrepreneurial initiatives.
It also endeavors to tap into the tourism potential of these areas by promoting their local culture, traditional knowledge, and heritage. Moreover, sustainable eco-agri businesses will be developed based on the concept of ‘one village-one product’ through community-based organisations, cooperatives, NGOs.
Shinku-La Tunnel: A Key Infrastructural Development
The Shinku-La tunnel is a 4.1-km construction on the Nimu-Padam-Darcha Road, targeted to provide all-weather connectivity to the border areas of Ladakh. Slated for completion by December 2025, this tunnel holds significant strategic value in terms of national security and safety. Further, operational movement of security forces in the region will be greatly facilitated by this infrastructural asset.