Sitharaman highlighted that the VVP is part of a broader government initiative aimed at ensuring the development of villages along India’s borders with countries such as Bangladesh, Myanmar, Tibet, China, and Nepal.
The programme aims to transform remote and often neglected settlements into hubs of infrastructure, connectivity, livelihood, healthcare, and education, she added.
She clarified that the previous Border Area Development (BAD) programme has not been discontinued.
“I don’t think that is the case at all. Border area funds are continuously on. It is being managed from the Home and Defence ministries together,” she said.
On a separate note, Sitharaman addressed concerns about inflation in the North East, attributing perceived economic distress to outdated or misleading data.
She said both the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) and retail inflation have shown a nationwide decline, which has allowed the Reserve Bank of India to consider rate cuts, suggesting that inflation is well under control. PTI JOP MNB