Vibrant Villages Programme-II Launch In Assam’s Cachar District

Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched Vibrant Villages Programme-II (VVP-II) in the Cachar district of Assam. The programme focuses on improving the border villages and creating sustainable livelihood opportunities, fostering secure border communities in alignment with the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047. This initiative is a strategic effort to develop border areas while strengthening national security.

Union Home Minister @AmitShah will launch the Vibrant Villages Programme-II in Cachar, Assam, today.

The programme focuses on improving border villages and creating sustainable livelihood opportunities, fostering secure border communities in alignment with the vision of Viksit… pic.twitter.com/BuG6RRIrxZ

— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) February 20, 2026

 Vibrant Villages Programme-II

Vibrant Village Programme is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with the aim of comprehensive development of  villages and remote blocks on the northern border area to improve the quality of life of people living in the remote border areas and create sufficient incentives for people to stay on in the selected villages.

The programme is to be implemented across 15 States and 2 Union Territories across the country through a saturation-based and convergence-driven approach.

•  Developed 2,967 villages across 46 blocks and 19 districts along India’s northern border, covering Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, and Ladakh by improving infrastructure and opportunities.

The initiative seeks to encourage residents to remain in their native communities and reverse outmigration and stabilisation of local populations is a strategic move to enhance border security and maintain a vigilant presence in these critical regions.

• It aims to enable residents to act as the eyes and ears of the nation, thereby contributing significantly to border security, preventing cross-border crimes and strengthening internal security. 

Under the Vibrant Villages Programme-II a budget of over ₹6,800 crore has been allocated to fund the project through the financial year 2028-29.

• Strategic Objectives of the programme: 

• Sustainable Livelihoods: Creating local jobs to prevent migration and boost the rural economy. The 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.

• Infrastructure Growth: Focusing on essential services like housing, water, electricity, and providing road connectivity to unconnected villages, housing & village infrastructures, energy including renewable energy, television & telecom connectivity.

• National Security: Empowering border residents to act as the "eyes and ears" of the nation to help curb cross-border crimes and strengthen security.

District administrations will collaborate with Gram Panchayats to develop Village Action Plans, ensuring 100% saturation of both Central and State schemes without overlapping with the existing Border Area Development Programme.

The Vibrant Villages Programme-II marks a strategic shift by transforming remote border areas into prosperous, self-reliant hubs. By combining significant financial investment with a focus on local infrastructure and livelihoods, the initiative ensures these communities become a resilient, secure "first line of defense." Ultimately, this programme is essential to fostering national integration and achieving the broader vision of a secure Viksit Bharat 2047.

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