Under the Vibrant Village program proposed in the Union Budget 2022-23, the Union government aims to open settlements along the Chinese border to tourists. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) recently convened a conference with leaders from such communities across Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and the Union Territory of Ladakh.
According to a senior government official, the program’s budget requirements have been referred to the Expenditure Finance Committee for approval, after which the scheme would be presented to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Union Cabinet.
According to Tashi Gyalson, chief executive councilor of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), a district-level pre-exercise on plan formulation is ongoing as part of the dynamic village program to enhance each border community.
“Some settlements in Ladakh, such as those in the Changthang region, might be transformed into dark sky destinations for astronomy enthusiasts.” Because of the difficult terrain, many measures will be needed to improve tourism amenities, according to Mr. Gyalson, who represents the BJP in the LAHDC.
Government intending to boost economic activities
A top MHA official remarked on February 23 during a virtual conference arranged by the Rural Development Ministry that “focus be made on tourism and culture” for economic activities under the scheme. “Programs connected to livelihood creation, road connectivity, housing, rural infrastructure, renewable energy, television, and broadband connections should be performed as part of the Vibrant Villages program,” the official noted.
In its December 2021 report, the Parliamentary Committee on Home Affairs proposed that all villages in Ladakh, particularly those near the Zero-Border like Chumar and Demchok, be electrified “to prevent people from migrating from these areas.”
Only 172 of Ladakh’s 236 inhabited villages have telecom infrastructure, according to the research, and “only 24 and 78 villages have 3G and 4G Internet connectivity,” respectively. According to Konchok Stanzin, councilor of Chushul in Eastern Ladakh, there are 19 villages with no or limited communication services, as well as border settlements.
In recent years, China has created several new villages along the LAC, mainly across the Arunachal Pradesh border. The Vibrant Village program, according to another government official, is a counter to China’s model villages, but the nomenclature has been carefully picked to avoid causing any confusion in the neighboring country. For the past two years, China and India have been locked in a standoff in Eastern Ladakh, with as many as 20 Indian soldiers dead in one of the fierce skirmishes with China’s Peoples Liberation Army (PLA).
The MHA, according to Mr. Stanzin, has called for proposals on how to develop the border settlements. “The Ministry has stated that the plan should be developed from the ground up, from the gram sabha through the district to the state level.” “The youthful generation is going to cities and towns, and if no action is taken, these villages will be abandoned,” he predicted.
He claimed that he has proposed to the Ministry that the border population be paid a set pay. “Many villagers rely on livestock for a living, and the younger generation does not wish to remain in the countryside. Mr. Stanzin stated, “If conventional occupations are to be preserved, the government will have to subsidize their incomes.”
“Border villages with a sparse population, inadequate connectivity, and infrastructure often get left out of the development advantages,” Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in her Union Budget speech on February 1. The new Vibrant Villages Programme will encompass such villages on the northern border.” The Ministry of Home Affairs is already working on a larger Border Area Development Plan that will benefit all border states.