Five villages in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district have been included in the first phase of the Centre’s Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP), a flagship scheme focused on the development of border villages.
The selected villages are Laxmipur under Boyra-I Gram Panchayat; Gangulia, Hamkura and Bagui under Asharu Gram Panchayat; and Mathabhanga under Koniara-II Gram Panchayat.
A review meeting on the implementation of the programme was held at the Bagdah Block Development Office and attended by Bagdah MLA Soma Thakur, officials of the Border Security Force (BSF), Bagdah Police and district administration officials.
Discussions during the meeting focused on the execution of development projects, including the upgradation of roads, schools and other essential public infrastructure in the selected villages.
Bagdah MLA Soma Thakur said the programme would improve connectivity and civic amenities in the border region, contributing to overall development and better service delivery.
The Vibrant Villages Programme is a Government of India initiative aimed at the comprehensive development of remote and strategically important border villages.
The programme focuses on improving physical infrastructure, access to public services, connectivity and livelihood opportunities. It also seeks to reduce migration from border areas and promote socio-economic development in frontier regions.
A key objective of the scheme is to strengthen border communities by treating them as the “first villages of India” rather than the “last villages”, recognising their importance in national development and security.
The programme was initially launched for villages along India’s northern border under Phase I. Under Phase II, it has been expanded as a fully funded Central Sector Scheme to cover strategically important villages along all international land borders.
The inclusion of the five villages in North 24 Parganas marks West Bengal’s entry into the expanded phase of the programme and is expected to bring focused developmental support to border communities in the district.
