Rs174-cr grant released for border area development

Mukesh Ranjan

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 12

The Centre today released Rs 174 crore to six states, including Himachal Pradesh, having international border for developing social and physical infrastructure in the villages situated in forward areas.

Informing about the government’s decision to grant money, a senior Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Official said the states which will receive the money are Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Manipur and West Bengal. He said, “An amount of Rs 174.32 crore has been released to the states under the Border Area Development Programme (BADP).”

The fully Centrally funded BADP programme covers all villages which are located within the 0-10 km of the international border in 17 states but priority is given to those villages which are identified by border guarding forces for speedy development of infrastructure, the official said.

The schemes permissible under the BADP include activities relating to “swatchhta aabhiyan”, skill development programmes, promotion of sports activities, promotion of rural tourism, border tourism and protection of heritage sites.

Construction of helipads in remote and inaccessible hilly areas, which do not have road connectivity, skill development training to farmers for the use of modern/scientific technique in farming, organic farming are other areas which come under the BADP.

Himachal Pradesh shares Internal Border with China and Nepal, Assam with Bangladesh, West Bengal Nepal and Bhutan, Gujarat with Pakistan, Manipur with Myanmar and Uttar Pradesh with Nepal.