INFRASTRUCTURE: NITYANAND RAI UNVEILS CENTRAL PROJECTS TO DEVELOP TOURISM INFRASTRUCTURE IN BORDER VILLAGES

TTT NEWS NETWORK

NEW DELHI | 25 MARCH 2026

The Government approved the Vibrant Villages Programme-I (VVP-I) as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme on 15^th February, 2023 with financial    outlay    of   Rs.4,800  Crore for FY 2022-23   to   2025-26   for comprehensive   development   of the   select   villages   in   46 blocks abutting northern border in 19 districts in the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand and UT of Ladakh. Initially, 662 border villages have been identified for comprehensive development on priority under the programme.

The programme envisages focused areas of interventions in the select villages for creation of opportunities for livelihood generation through promotion of tourism & cultural heritage, skill development & entrepreneurship and development of cooperative societies including agriculture/horticulture, cultivation of medicinal plants/herbs, etc.  The interventions also include providing road connectivity to unconnected villages, village infrastructures, health facility, education infrastructure, energy including renewable energy, television & telecom connectivity. The objective of the programme is to create sufficient incentives for people to stay on in the selected villages.

Till date, under VVP-I, 263 projects with an outlay of Rs.116 crore have been approved for promotion of tourism which include development of viewpoints, adventure tourism, eco-tourism, eco-resorts, trek routes and tourist centers.

Furthering the programme, the Government has approved the Vibrant Villages Programme-II (VVP-II), as a Central Sector Scheme, with a total outlay of Rs. 6839 crores till the Financial Year 2028-29 for comprehensive development of identified villages located in blocks abutting international land borders(ILBs), other than the Northern Border already covered under VVP-I, in the States/UTs of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, J&K, Ladakh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. The State of Tamil Nadu is not covered under VVP-I and VVP-II.

This  was  stated  by  the  Minister  of  State  in  the  Ministry  of  Home Affairs  Shri  Nityanand Rai  in  a  written  reply  to  a  question  in  the Rajya  Sabha.