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New Delhi: Recalling PM Narendra Modi’s 2025 I-Day speech that flagged demographic changes in border villages caused by illegal immigration “as part of a deliberate design”, home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday urged the collectors of districts covered under the Vibrant Village Programme (VVP), chief secretaries of border states and central armed police forces (CAPFs) to pay attention to the problem and address it suitably.Addressing the inaugural session of the two-day VVP workshop being organised by Union home ministry here, Shah urged the collectors/district magistrates of border districts to take appropriate action to remove illegal encroachments within a 30-km radius of the border, including religious structures that often come up as “part of a deliberate design” to alter demography of surrounding areas. He cited the example of Gujarat, saying it had cleared numerous encroachments along both maritime and land borders.”Demographic changes in border areas directly impact security of the country and its borders. It should not be assumed that this is happening due to geographical conditions; rather, it is occurring as part of a deliberate design,” Shah told the conference attended by junior home minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar, senior MHA officials, the Intelligence Bureau director, chief secretary of border states covered under VVP, DG of border forces and collectors of border districts. The minister exhorted DMs of VVP districts to address the illegal immigration and encroachment issue “with seriousness and attention to detail”. The same suggestion was made to state chief secretaries and CAPF chiefs.Stating that VVP had led to infrastructure development in target villages, preservation and enhancement of culture, and employment generation through tourism, making village life vibrant, Shah said it was the responsibility of chief secretaries, district authorities and CAPFs to consider what additional steps can be taken, beyond VVP, to transform border villages into significant tools of security.He said it was the responsibility of CAPFs and district collectors to establish dairy cooperatives to meet the milk requirements of CAPFs and the Army directly from the villages, thus aiding in employment generation.Commending the population rise in Arunachal’s border villages since VVP’s launch, Shah said locals would not seek to migrate if they got facilities and employment opportunities in their own village. He said if initiatives like homestays were extended to border villages and state tourism departments made proper arrangements for bookings, every household would have employment.Shah said to achieve 100% saturation of govt schemes, district collectors should consider coordinating with CAPFs. He said CAPFs could provide assistance in areas of health, sports and education.
