PM Modi asks officials to stay overnight at border villages

New Delhi: With a view to comprehensively develop villages on Indian borders, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked all the ministries to depute senior officers for at least one night stay for a ground assessment of challenges and socio-economic conditions faced by the people living in villages facing China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Myanmar.

On April 2, the PM in his physical interaction with all secretaries to Government of India had unveiled the Vibrant Villages Programme and emphasized on the necessity of concerted and coordinated action by all the ministries for the comprehensive development of border villages. In a letter written to all the concerned secretaries on April 7, Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla has asked the ministries to depute officers for visit and night stay in the border villages covered under Border Area Development Programme (BADP). These officers will give a practical prescription for all round development and main streaming of villages.

Appealing to the protesters to end their agitation, Rajapaksa said every minute spent on streets deprives the cash-strapped country of precious dollars. The Prime Minister's speech comes at a time when the nation is rocked by massive anti-government protests over weeks of lengthy power outages and shortage of gas, food and other essentials.

Based on their report, the Ministry should incorporate in all their schemes focused activities for infrastructure development, economic activities promotion, and creating linkages for marketing of village products in the border villages. The PM has also directed for expanding the coverage of NCC schools of the border areas to inculcate values of nation building. Home Secretary Bhalla has directed that a monthly consolidated report based on the assessment of deputed senior officers should be submitted to Department of Border Management by 10th day of every month. Instructions have also been shared with Defence Ministry and Department of School Education for immediate action forf covering schools in border areas under NCC.