Jaipur, May 26 (IANS). Union Home Minister Amit Shah will launch ‘Vibrant Villages Programme-2’ from the India-Pakistan border area near Bikaner on Tuesday. This is a major step towards strengthening the infrastructure and connectivity in the strategically important border areas.
Under this initiative, 184 villages in the border districts of Rajasthan, including Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Barmer and Sri Ganganagar, will get development facilities on priority basis in terms of road connectivity, 4G mobile network, electricity and television access.
Home Minister Amit Shah will visit the BSF border post at Sanchu near the India-Pakistan border. During this visit he will interact with BSF personnel and inaugurate welfare schemes for the security forces. He will chair a high-level security review meeting in Bikaner at 2 pm. This meeting will be attended by officials of Home Ministry, Rajasthan Government, BSF and District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police of five border districts.
The Union Home Minister reached Bikaner late on Monday night. His two-day visit focuses on border security and development of rural infrastructure. Home Minister Amit Shah landed at Nal Air Force Station in a special plane at around 10:30 pm, where he was welcomed by Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma and Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal. After arrival, the Home Minister left directly for the BSF camp, where he rested for the night.
Officials said the visit reflected Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s emphasis on simplicity and minimal protocol as the VVIP convoy during this period was relatively limited.
On Tuesday, Amit Shah is going to launch ‘Vibrant Villages Programme-2’ from the India-Pakistan border area near Bikaner. The objective of this initiative is to strengthen infrastructure and improve connectivity in strategically important border villages. Under this programme, 184 border villages in Rajasthan have been selected for development.
These villages are located in Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Barmer and Sriganganagar districts. The scheme will give priority to road connectivity, 4G mobile network, availability of electricity and television connectivity in these remote areas.
After the launch, Home Minister Amit Shah will visit the strategically important Sanchu border post, where he will interact with BSF and security personnel. During this time he will also review the security arrangements and inspect the India-Pakistan border from a watchtower.
The international border is located at a distance of five kilometers from this post. Sanchu border post has historical significance due to its role in the India-Pakistan wars of 1965 and 1971. In the 1965 conflict, the Indian Army regained control of this post from Pakistani occupation. The history of the army’s bravery and border defense operations has been preserved in a museum located at this site.
Many BJP leaders and public representatives were present at Nal airport to welcome the Home Minister. These included BJP state president Madan Rathore, in-charge minister Gajendra Singh Khinvsar, cabinet minister Sumit Godara and senior party leaders. Senior administrative and police officers including Chief Secretary, Director General of Police, Divisional Commissioner, Inspector General of Police, District Collector and Superintendent of Police were also present to oversee the arrangements.
This visit of the Home Minister is considered important both from the point of view of border security and the Centre’s continued emphasis on strengthening infrastructure and connectivity in the border areas.
–IANS
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