NEW DELHI: Home minister Amit Shah will launch phase 2 of the Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP–II) in Cachar district of Assam on Friday, taking forward efforts to promote inclusive development in border areas so as to check outmigration and inculcate the border population as “eyes and ears” of the border guarding forces.The launch of VVP-II — a 6,839-crore project aimed at the comprehensive development of 1,954 identified villages abutting international borders of 15 states and 2 Union territories — comes close on the heels of the govt informing the Lok Sabha that villages of three border districts of Arunachal Pradesh covered in VVP-I had reported reverse migration by their people. These districts are Kurung Kumey, Dibang Valley and Shi-YomiThe objective of VVP is to create better living conditions and adequate livelihood opportunities to ensure prosperous and safe borders, control trans-border crime and assimilate the border population with the nation, which is crucial for internal security. This aligns with the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047, a home ministry spokesperson said on Thursday.VVP-II, which will run till 2028-29, covers the border areas of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, J&K, Ladakh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
