SRINAGAR: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, today reviewed the implementation of the Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP) in the selected blocks of Jammu & Kashmir.
This centrally funded initiative aims to uplift and integrate strategically important border villages into the national development narrative.
Besides the Secretary, PD&MD, the meeting was attended by the Commissioner Secretary, Forests;the Secretary, Revenue; the Secretary, IT; representatives from BSNL and other concerned officers.
The Chief Secretary called this scheme pivotal in upgrading the connectivity projects across these blocks. He impressed upon the concerned Deputy Commissioners to identify the gaps found in key 4 verticals of this scheme so that action plans for the whole scheme period are framed by the concerned departments in a convergence mode.
Dulloo also asked for the identification of all the relevant schemes having the potential to make interventions under the identified areas under this scheme. He also enjoined upon all of them to frame an activity calendar for creating awareness and necessary momentum to successfully implement this scheme across districts of the UT.
Secretary PD&MD, Talat Parvez Rohella, while throwing light on the nature and implementation of this scheme, mentioned that VVP envisages holistic border area development across 15 States and 2 Union Territories.
In Jammu & Kashmir, he added that the program will strategically target 124 identified villages across 43 blocks in various border districts, addressing the region’s unique developmental needs.
The program’s core focus is on saturating four critical thematic areas in these villages by leveraging the existing Government of India schemes. These included all-weather road connectivity, 4G Telecom Connectivity, Television Connectivity and On-Grid Electrification of all such villages.
The all-weather road connectivity is proposed to be ensured through the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana-IV (PMGSY-IV) to establish robust road infrastructure, enhance accessibility and economic integration. Currently, 118 out of 124 identified villages in J&K are already connected.
With respect to Telecom Connectivity, the Digital Bharat Nidhi scheme is going to be instrumental in bridging the digital divide, enabling access to online services and information. While 83 villages are currently covered, plans are in motion to connect the remaining 41 villages.
Similarly, the Broadcasting Infrastructure and Network Development (BIND) scheme is extending television access to border villages, facilitating access to news, entertainment and educational content. Out of 40,726 households in identified villages, 23,976 already have DTH television connectivity with efforts to connect others through these DTH instruments.
Similarly, the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) is envisaged to ensure reliable on-grid electrification, improving the living standards and supporting the local enterprises. Significant progress has been made with 46,257 out of 46,579 households already electrified across these blocks.
To ensure effective implementation, a comprehensive planning and saturation strategy is being adopted, which included finalizing village-wise saturation plans across the four thematic areas, ensuring convergence with relevant schemes besides strengthening inter-departmental coordination through regular meetings and constitution of Block and District-level teams for real-time monitoring.
Moreover, the VVP focuses on saturating key thematic areas to enhance connectivity, improve living standards and foster economic growth and cultural preservation in these regions.
