Govt aiming to transform villages along northern border: Rajnath Singh

New Delhi, Sep 11: The government is aiming to transform the villages along the frontier with China in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh into “model villages”, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Wednesday.In an address at a conclave, Singh said New Delhi is fully committed to the holistic development of border villages and described them as India’s “first villages” and not remote areas.His comments came amid the government’s increasing focus on boosting infrastructure along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China following the eastern Ladakh row.The civil-military collaboration in border areas is leading to reverse migration to the frontier areas, Singh said at the ‘Border Area Development Conclave’.The defence minister pointed out that India’s geo-strategic position is such that it is exposed to different kinds of challenges and the best way to deal with them is to ensure border area development.”Our objective is to transform the villages along the Northern borders, especially in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh, which are suffering from limited connectivity and infrastructure, into a ‘Model Village’. We aim to connect them to the mainstream of development,” he said.The defence minister highlighted the progress achieved in border area development in the last 10 years.”The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has constructed over 8,500 kms of roads and more than 400 permanent bridges. Atal Tunnel, Sela Tunnel and Shikun-La Tunnel, which is going to be the world’s highest tunnel, will prove to be milestones in border area development,” he said.”Our government has started the 220 kilo-volt Srinagar-Leh electricity line to connect the border areas of Ladakh with the national electricity grid,” he said.Singh said the transmission and distribution infrastructure of north-eastern states is being strengthened and that high-speed internet has been provided to over 1,500 villages through the Bharat-Net broadband project.”In the last four years alone, more than 7,000 border villages have been connected with internet connection, and our focus has been Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh,” he said.Speaking on the occasion, Chief of the Army Staff Gen Upendra Dwivedi described border area development as a core component of national security.The Indian Army’s efforts in the past have contributed immensely towards model villages in border areas, border tourism and developing infrastructure support, he said.The border area development vision is bold, ambitious and deeply rooted in the principles of inclusivity, sustainability and security, he said, adding that there has been a “whole of nation approach” with renewed impetus.Dwivedi said that infrastructure development, smart borders comprising communication networks and power supply, economic development, tourism and empowering the youth with skills and education opportunities are key pillars of the vision of border area development.In his remarks, the defence minister reiterated the government’s unwavering resolve to ensure progress in every corner of the country.He said that the ongoing efforts have not only ensured prompt military deployments in sensitive regions, but have also connected the people residing in border areas with the rest of the country.Singh underlined the fact that while building roads, bridges and tunnels in border areas is imperative for national security, it is also important in making the lives of the people in these regions better, in collaboration with the state governments.”Tourism has immense potential in border areas, but it could not reach the desired heights due to lack of infrastructure,” he said.”Things have changed since this government came to power. We are working towards development in these areas. From 2020 to 2023, the footfall of tourists in Ladakh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh increased by 30 per cent. “Similarly, there has been a significant increase (in flow of tourists) in Kashmir as compared to the last few years. This has resulted in job creation and strengthening of the local economy. We are taking consistent steps to make Jammu and Kashmir a tourist hotspot,” he said.Singh also threw light on what he described as “reverse migration” and said it is one of the positive outcomes of economic development in border areas.He made special mention of Huri village in Arunachal Pradesh.The defence minister stated that while the central and state governments focused on economic progress, the BRO and the Indian Army laid emphasis on infrastructure development, which resulted in “reverse migration”.”The government, along with the Indian Army, is ensuring the participation of people residing in border areas in their development. We are encouraging the youth to enroll in NCC,” he said.