Five Border Villages In West Bengal Selected Under Centre’s Vibrant Villages Programme

Published 12 July 2026 · india

Five Border Villages In West Bengal Selected Under Centre’s Vibrant Villages Programme Reported By, Last Updated: July 12, 2026, 19:33 IST A review meeting was

Five Border Villages In West Bengal Selected Under Centre’s Vibrant Villages Programme Reported By, Last Updated: July 12, 2026, 19:33 IST A review meeting was held on Sunday at the Bagdah Block Development Office (BDO) to discuss the implementation of the programme Rapid Read West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari. (PTI File) Five border villages in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district have become the first to be selected under the Central Government’s Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP), a flagship initiative aimed at accelerating development in strategically important border regions. A review meeting was held on Sunday at the Bagdah Block Development Office (BDO) to discuss the implementation of the programme. The meeting was attended by Bagdah MLA Soma Thakur, officials of the Border Security Force (BSF), Bagdah Police, and the Block Development Officer. The five villages selected in the first phase are Laxmipur (Boyra-I Gram Panchayat) Gangulia (Asharu Gram Panchayat) Hamkura (Asharu Gram Panchayat) Bagui (Asharu Gram Panchayat) Mathabhanga (Koniara-II Gram Panchayat) Discussions focused on the execution of development projects, including the upgradation of roads, schools, and other essential public infrastructure.

Bagdah MLA Soma Thakur said the selected villages would receive infrastructure upgrades under the programme. She said improved connectivity and better civic amenities would contribute to the overall development of the border region while strengthening border management. What is the Vibrant Villages Programme? The Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP) is a flagship initiative of the Government of India aimed at the comprehensive development of remote and strategically significant border villages. The programme focuses on improving physical infrastructure, connectivity, access to public services, and livelihood opportunities in sparsely populated border areas. Its objective is to improve the quality of life of residents, reduce migration from border villages, and encourage people to remain in these strategically important regions. The initiative also seeks to strengthen local economies through targeted socio-economic development while supporting national security objectives by promoting demographic stability in border areas.

A key principle of the programme is to redefine border settlements as the “first villages of India" rather than the “last villages," recognising their strategic importance in the country’s development and security framework. Phase-wise Implementation VVP Phase I is a Centrally Scheme covering villages along India’s northern border with China in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and the Union Territory of Ladakh. VVP Phase II expands the programme as a fully funded Central Sector Scheme to cover thousands of strategically important villages along all international land borders of India, extending development support beyond the northern frontier. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit About the Author Kamalika Sengupta Kamalika Sengupta is the Editor (East) at CNN-News18 / News18.com, focusing on politics, defence, and women’s issues.