The Arunachal Pradesh government has initiated several infrastructure development programmes in areas of the northeastern state bordering China, Bhutan and Myanmar, Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein said in the assembly on Thursday.
Under the Border Area Development Programme (BADP), infrastructure has been developed in 65 model villages, the deputy chief minister said. Mein was responding to a question by Congress MLA Ninong Ering on the steps taken by the state government in view of the construction activities carried out by China along the international border with India.
“For developing the education sector, four new Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalayas (VKVs) and four such existing schools have been upgraded under BADP with an estimated cost of Rs 80 crore,” he said.
“Moreover, eight model schools have been established in the border area during 2017-18”, the Deputy Chief Minister said.
“To address infrastructure gaps at the border, development projects such as road connectivity, foot suspension bridges, health facilities, drinking water, and electricity facilities have been provided through the normal allocation of BADP fund and also from the state fund,” Mr. Mein said.
According to Mr. Mein, the Frontier Highway project has been granted approval by the Union Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways (MoRTH) at an approximate cost of â‚ą44,000 crore. This 1500 km highway will link all border regions of the state in an East to West direction.
Furthermore, Mr. Mein mentioned that the Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP) was initiated by the Centre in September 2021, and a sum of â‚ą4,800 crore has been allocated towards this program.
The primary objective of the scheme is to promote the overall growth of villages in border areas, thereby enhancing the living standards of the people. The scheme seeks to achieve this by encouraging the local population to remain in their native areas and prevent migration.
According to reports, the Deputy Chief Minister stated that the Vibrant Villages Programme would be supplemented with additional funding. Furthermore, the government will undertake independent power projects in border regions of the state to ensure access to electricity.
