News Brief
India's Vibrant Village Programme Set To Bolster Border Connectivity: 113 Road Projects Worth Rs 2,421 Crore Approved In 2024
BRO
A year after the launch of the Vibrant Village Programme (VVP) along the India-China border, the Union Home Ministry's annual report reveals significant progress in enhancing connectivity in border regions.
In 2023-24, 113 road projects worth Rs 2,420.97 crore were sanctioned across Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, and Uttarakhand.
The third phase of the India-China Border Roads (ICBR) project commenced in Ladakh, the site of the 2020 Galwan clash.
This development coincides with China's announcement of a 60,000 MW dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo River near Arunachal Pradesh.
Officials highlighted the critical importance of these road projects in boosting infrastructure and connectivity along the India-China border. Regular reviews are conducted to ensure progress.
The Vibrant Village Programme, approved as a centrally sponsored scheme in 2023, aims to develop villages in 19 border districts across Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Ladakh.
An allocation of Rs 4,800 crore, including Rs 2,500 crore exclusively for road connectivity, has been earmarked for 2022-26.
India shares a 3,488-km border with China across Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Sikkim.
In Ladakh, road construction efforts have significantly increased, with "formation cutting" achieving 470 km per year from 2017-20, compared to 230 km annually in the previous decade.
Under ICBR phases I and II, 73 strategic roads were identified, with 61 entrusted to the Border Roads Organisation (BRO). In eastern Ladakh, five new roads under phase III will be constructed by the BRO and Central Public Works Department.
Roads with single or double lanes have been upgraded to four-lane, all-weather roads, said an official.
Additionally, along the India-Pakistan and India-Bangladesh borders, 3,785.30 km of border roads have been constructed out of a sanctioned 4,223.04 km, as per the ministry’s report.
