The central government has approved construction of 1022-km-long roads in Arunachal Pradesh under the Vibrant Village Programme, which will ensure the last-mile connectivity in the far-flung areas of the state, Chief Minister Pema Khandu said on Thursday.
Estimated to cost Rs 2,205.19 crore, a total of 105 road projects along the border with China in Arunachal Pradesh have been sanctioned by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) under the Vibrant Village Programme (VVP), a central government scheme to carry out all-round development in selected villages located in frontier areas.
The chief minister described the approval as a “massive boost to the last-mile connectivity”.
Khandu said a total of 105 road projects under the VVP was approved by the MHA, and the total length of the roads is 1,022.36 km and the total cost would be Rs 2,205.19 crore of which the central government’s share is Rs 1,984.67 crore and the state’s Rs 220.51 crore. The average cost per kilometre would be Rs 215.69 lakh.
The VVP was launched by the central government on February 15, 2023, with a financial outlay of Rs 4,800 crore for 2022-23 to 2025-26, for the comprehensive development of select villages in 46 blocks in 19 districts abutting the northern border in Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand and the Union Territory of Ladakh.
The objective of the programme is the comprehensive development of these villages to improve the quality of life of people and thereby reversing outmigration. The programme envisages focused areas of interventions for creation of opportunities for livelihood generation through the promotion of agriculture, horticulture, tourism and cultural heritage, officials said.
Besides, under the VVP, a few other activities will be carried out like skill development and entrepreneurship, development of cooperative societies for managing livelihood opportunities including agriculture, horticulture, cultivation of medicinal plants, herbs, road connectivity, housing and village infrastructure, energy including renewable energy, television and telecom connectivity, financial inclusion, etc.
One of the sectors identified for development is the promotion of tourism and culture by augmentation of various tourism-related infrastructure, promoting community-managed home stays, organising local fairs and festivals, promotion of eco-tourism, agro-tourism, wellness, wildlife, spiritual and adventure tourism, promotion of local cuisines, etc, officials said.
The chief minister had earlier said the highest number of villages among all states will be developed in Arunachal Pradesh under the VVP. Out of 665 villages selected under the VVP in the first phase, 453 are in Arunachal Pradesh, he had said.