Strategic Boost: First Villages of India at India-Bangladesh Border

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that 92 villages in Meghalaya, near the India-Bangladesh border, will be designated as 'first villages of India' under the Vibrant Village Programme. This move highlights the strategic value of border villages and aims to develop their infrastructure and other essentials.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced on Friday that 92 villages in Meghalaya's border region with Bangladesh have been selected for designation as the 'first villages of India' under the second phase of the Centre's Vibrant Village Programme (VVP).

The initiative is part of a broader effort to develop infrastructural and societal assets in border villages with neighboring countries like Bangladesh, Myanmar, and China, transforming them into centers of connectivity, livelihood, healthcare, and education.

Sitharaman also addressed regional economic concerns, clarifying that the Border Area Development program remains active and noted that inflation in the North East is under control, according to the latest economic data.

(With inputs from agencies.)