Nation’s borders priority for Modi govt: Union Home Minister

NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said security of the country’s borders is the priority of the Modi government and it is linked with national security. Inaugurating a workshop on the ‘Vibrant Villages Programme’ (VVP), Shah also said that developing ‘vibrant villages’ — with all amenities, including education, and healthcare facilities — will add an extra layer to the border security of the country.

Shah said PM Modi has always maintained that border villages are not the last villages of the country but the first villages. The minister said the security of the country’s borders is the priority of the Modi govt and it is linked with national security and without keeping the villages secured, the borders cannot be kept safe, according to an official statement.

He said the concept of the VVP came into being with a focus on two main security aspects — to stop migration from border villages in far-flung areas which have tough climatic conditions, and developing these villages and adding an extra layer of security. Shah said PM Modi has conceptualised the VVP with a lot of devotion and in the spirit of the Constitution that every border village should get all facilities, similar to any other village on the mainland.

Shah said district collectors in border districts under VVP should take at least five initiatives every year in every border village to give impetus to the Vibrant Villages Programme. These include initiatives related to tourism, the generation of employment opportunities, agriculture, handicrafts etc.