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Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda chaired a courtesy meeting with representatives from villages of five States/UTs (Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Ladakh) covered under the phase-I of the Vibrant Villages Programme, here today. He was joined by Smt. Punya Salila Srivastava, Union Health Secretary and Shri Rajendra Kumar, Secretary, Border Management.
The VVP Programme was launched on 10th April 2023 by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for identified villages of strategic importance in blocks abutting the northern border in mission mode, to improve the quality of life of people living in the identified border villages.
Addressing the occasion, Shri JP Nadda noted that the perception of border villages as the last villages of the country has transformed in recent years, with a new vision of recognizing them as the first villages of the nation and developing them into vibrant hubs. He emphasized that women’s and youth empowerment has been a central focus of this initiative, with training and skill development programmes aimed at fostering entrepreneurship in areas such as horticulture and floriculture. These efforts, he said, are designed to encourage reverse migration and stimulate the growth of these remote regions.
The Union Health Minister further informed that under Phase-1 of the programme, 662 border villages have been identified. He highlighted that the Union Health Ministry has endeavoured to establish at least one Ayushman Arogya Mandir for every 1,000–1,500 people in these areas, complemented by mobile medical units to ensure healthcare access for all.
Smt. Punya Salila Srivastava underlined that the Vibrant Villages Programme is a key initiative of the Government of India. She reaffirmed the Union Health Ministry’s commitment to delivering healthcare services to every corner of the country, noting that “58 projects have already been sanctioned under the National Health Mission, and mobile medical units are being deployed in the border villages.”
Shri Rajendra Kumar highlighted that the Vibrant Villages Programme is receiving strong impetus from the Union Government as part of the Viksit Bharat vision. He informed that around ₹3,000 crore has been sanctioned to enhance road infrastructure in these villages. Efforts are also underway to provide 4G connectivity, thereby improving access to healthcare and education. In addition, tourism, skill development, and agriculture are being actively promoted to drive holistic growth in these regions.
Village representatives from five states expressed their gratitude to the Union Government for advancing the development of their villages and for inviting them to Delhi on the occasion of Independence Day. They noted significant improvements in road connectivity and healthcare facilities under the scheme, and urged the Government to extend the initiative to additional villages not covered in Phase-1.
Background:
The Vibrant Villages Programme envisages focused areas of interventions in the select villages for creation of opportunities for livelihood generation through promotion of tourism & cultural heritage, skill development & entrepreneurship and development of cooperative societies including agriculture/horticulture, cultivation of medicinal plants/herbs etc. the interventions also include providing road connectivity to unconnected villages, housing & village infrastructures, energy including renewable energy, television & telecom connectivity. The objective of the programme is to create sufficient incentives for people to stay on in the selected villages.
In Phase I, VVP Programme is being implemented in the border areas of 4 States and 1 UT namely, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Ladakh. In total, the VVP Programme covers 19 districts, 46 blocks and 662 villages in these states/UT.
State/UT-wise Summary of VVP in Phase I:
| S. No. | States/UTs | Districts | Names of Districts | Blocks | Villages | |
| 1. |
Uttarakhand |
3 |
Uttarkashi Pithoragarh Chamoli |
5 | 51 | |
| 2. | UT of Ladakh | 1 | Leh (Ladakh) | 3 | 35 | |
| 3. | Himachal Pradesh | 2 | Lahul & Spiti
Kinnaur |
3 | 75 | |
| 4. | Arunachal Pradesh | 11 | Anjaw
East Kameng Kurung Kumey Lower Dibang Valley Tawang Upper Siang Upper Subansiri West Kameng Shiyomi Kra Daadi Dibang Valley |
28 | 455 | |
| 5. | Sikkim | 2 | North District
East District |
7 | 46 | |
| Total | 19 | 46 | 662 | |||
MHA has also developed a VVP portal: a digital platform to monitor the progress of the Vibrant Villages Programme.
Overview & Status of Projects (as on 13th Aug, 2025):
- Majority of the projects proposed on the VVP portal by the districts pertain to construction of health infrastructure.
- A total of 145 projects have been proposed in health so far. The projects were reviewed and accordingly, till date, a total of 58 projects have been approved and 38 have been rejected. The details are as below:
Projects pertaining to MoHFW
| S. No. | Projects | Number | Estimated Cost
(in Rs. Lakhs) |
| 1 | Total projects proposed by the states/UT | 145 | 12861.16 |
| 2 | Total projects sanctioned till date | 58 | 5073.26 |
| 3 | Total projects rejected till date | 38 | 3879.08 |
| 4 | Total projects under query after appraisal | 49* | 3908.82 |
* The state to review and propose in NHM PIP if deemed necessary
State-wise Sanctioned Projects:
| State/UT | No. of Projects Sanctioned | Estimated Cost of Sanctioned Projects
(in Rs. Lakhs) |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 43 | 2273.24 |
| Himachal Pradesh | 1 | 2.00 |
| Ladakh (UT) | 10 | 2534.72 |
| Uttarakhand | 4 | 263.30 |
| Total | 58 | 5073.26 |
Shri Abdul Ghani Mir, ADG, Indo Tibetan Border Police; Shri Pushpendra Rajput, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry; Smt. Pausumi Basu, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs and senior officials of the Union Government were present in the meeting.
