Government to Spend Money on Roads Along China Border

• 13 May 2024

Why in News?

According to the sources, The government is likely to spend over Rs. 2 crore on each kilometre of road to be constructed along the China border in Uttarakhand and Sikkim under the Vibrant Village Programme (VVP).

Key Points

• The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sanctioned 113 roads under the VVP in Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Sikkim, to improve connectivity in areas along the China border.
  • While 105 roads have been sanctioned in Arunachal Pradesh, five roads in Uttarakhand and three roads in Sikkim have also been approved.
• According to the MHA’s sanction letter, 43.96 km of roads are to be built at a cost of Rs. 119 crore at Pithoragarh district in Uttarakhand.
  • Each kilometre of road is expected to cost Rs. 2.7 crore. Once constructed, the “asset” will have to be maintained by the State government.
  • In Sikkim, around 18.73 km of roads and 350 metres of steel bridges have been sanctioned under the VVP at the Chungthang and Mangan block in north Sikkim at a cost of Rs. 96 crore.
  • Each kilometre of road construction will cost Rs. 2.4 crore.

Vibrant Villages Programme

• It is a Centrally sponsored scheme, announced in the Union Budget 2022-23 (to 2025-26) for development of villages on the northern border, thus improving the quality of life of people living in identified border villages.
• It will cover the border areas of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Ladakh.
• It will cover 2,963 villages with 663 of them to be covered in the first phase.
• Vibrant Village Action Plans will be created by the district administration with the help of Gram Panchayats.
• There will not be overlap with the Border Area Development Programme.