SRINAGAR, May 12: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday said residents of border villages shoulder an “extraordinary responsibility” in serving the nation.
Sinha, who visited Uran Bowa village in the Uri area of Baramulla, reviewed projects under the central government’s Vibrant Village Programme and addressed a public gathering.
He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership had brought border villages closer to the national mainstream, adding that the government was committed to transforming them into symbols of inclusive development.
“The people of our border villages, especially farmers, youth, and women, shoulder an extraordinary responsibility in serving the nation,” he said.
According to an official spokesperson, the Vibrant Villages Programme focuses on inclusive development in selected border villages. At its core are four key areas — all-weather road connectivity, household electrification, telecom connectivity, and television connectivity.
“I truly believe that roads unlock new possibilities. All 18 villages covered under the Vibrant Villages Programme are now linked by all-weather roads. The process to connect all 83 border villages of Baramulla has been expedited, and very soon, every border village of Jammu and Kashmir will be integrated into the economic mainstream and linked to other key cities of the country.
“Before 2019, telecom and digital coverage in those 18 strategically vital villages was under 40 per cent. Under the prime minister’s leadership, we have ensured 100 per cent 4G and 5G connectivity in these critical spots,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
Sinha assured the residents of border villages that the digital revolution won’t stop at city limits and the administration is committed to strengthening digital infrastructure and delivering reliable mobile and internet services to every frontier hamlet.
He also said that youth and women are being empowered, and entrepreneurship is being promoted in border areas for a prosperous society. He reiterated that the administration is working on three key parameters — improving literacy rate, ensuring economic growth, and providing Livelihood generation opportunities for the youth of villages like Uran Bowa.
“Youth and women in border areas now have self-employment opportunities, increased education infrastructure provides vocational training for the next generation, and border tourism, a new revolution in agriculture and allied sectors, has ignited prosperity across all 18 vital villages,” Sinha said.
He also inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for various development projects worth Rs 94 crore under different sectors and key infrastructure projects in 83 villages under the Vibrant Villages Programme-II.
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