"Meghalaya’s Border Villages to SHINE as India’s First Villages Under India’s First-Changing Vibrant Village Programme!"

 Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a transformative push for Meghalaya’s border regions, revealing that 92 villages along the India-Bangladesh border have been selected for the second phase of the Centre’s Vibrant Village Programme (VVP). Dubbed the “first villages of India,” these settlements are set to become beacons of development, Sitharaman declared during a press interaction in Shillong.

The minister emphasized the strategic significance of these villages, stating, “These 92 villages from Meghalaya are becoming the first villages of India.” She plans to visit several of them during her tour, underscoring the government’s commitment to uplifting remote border areas. The VVP aims to revolutionize villages along India’s borders with Bangladesh, Myanmar, Tibet, China, and Nepal by boosting infrastructure, connectivity, healthcare, education, and livelihood opportunities.

Addressing concerns about the Border Area Development (BAD) programme, Sitharaman clarified, “The BAD programme has not been discontinued. It continues to be managed by the Home and Defence Ministries.” She reassured that funds for border development remain robust.

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On the economic front, Sitharaman tackled inflation concerns in the North East, dismissing claims of economic distress as based on “outdated or misleading data.” She highlighted that both the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) and retail inflation have declined significantly nationwide, enabling the Reserve Bank of India to consider rate cuts—a sign of strong economic stability.

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