New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday directed officials to remove encroachments within a radius of 30 km from the country’s border areas and ensure that the daily supplies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and the Army are met locally. Shah said, “District collectors should form dairy cooperatives in border villages so that milk can be supplied to the CAPF and the Army. The border should be encroachment-free within a radius of at least 30 km.”
Home Minister Shah urged the collectors of border districts to take appropriate action to remove illegal religious encroachments. He said that these encroachments are part of a well-planned conspiracy. Shah said, “All illegal encroachments should be removed within a radius of at least 30 km from the border.”
Shah highlighted that Gujarat has done commendable work in this regard and has removed many encroachments on maritime and terrestrial borders.
New Delhi Addressing the inaugural session of the two-day Vibrant Village Programme (VVP) workshop, Shah said the population growth in border villages of Arunachal Pradesh due to the Vibrant Village programme is a positive message for all border villages.
Shah also launched the logo of the Vibrant Village Programme. Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar, Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Intelligence Bureau (IB) Director Tapan Deka, Border Management Secretary Rajendra Kumar, Chief Secretaries of border states involved in the first and second phases of VVP, Director Generals of security forces deployed for border security, District Magistrates of the respective districts, among several other dignitaries were present.
Shah stressed on stopping migration from border villages, ensuring that every citizen of border villages gets 100 per cent benefits of central and state government schemes, and developing villages under VVP as a strong tool for strengthening border and national security.
He said, “When Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented the idea of the Vibrant Village Programme, it was decided that it would be implemented in a phased manner. Not only will every border village be equipped with all the facilities, but every citizen living in these border villages will be provided the benefits of all the schemes of the Government of India and the State Governments so that the lives of the people living there can be better. Apart from this, these villages will be developed as a powerful means of protecting the country and its borders.” Shah said that the villages identified soon under the Vibrant Village Programme will prove to be a very important means in protecting our country and its borders in a few years. He said, “Through this programme, with a view to multi-dimensional and multi-sectoral development, an effort has been made to promote infrastructure development, preservation and promotion of culture, employment generation through tourism and to make village life vibrant in every way.”
