Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday termed country’s border the “backbone of India” and said the hamlets there are the inheritors of a rich tradition of courage and resilience.
The lieutenant governor (LG) was addressing a public rally during his visit to the border village of Regal in the Samba district, where he inaugurated and laid foundation stones for several development projects.
The projects include establishment of a digital library at the Government Primary School Regal, construction of a community hall-cum-recreation centre, development of Amrit Sarovar, along with drainage channel, installation of three open gyms and installation of solar street lights.
“Our border villages are the inheritors of a rich tradition of courage and resilience. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we have shifted the narrative. These are no longer the ‘last villages’ of India; they are our ‘first villages’,” Sinha said.
The LG asserted that the administration is resolute on elevating the border settlements “from the periphery of neglect to the forefront of national progress”.
“Border villages like Regal are the backbone of India. Our glorious history was forged in the arduous paths of these border villages. We are committed to safeguarding the dignity of every border village family, ensuring that those who have faced the greatest neglect are now accorded the highest priority in the new era of Jammu and Kashmir’s progress,” he said.
The LG highlighted that the government is implementing a comprehensive strategy under the Vibrant Villages programme, which aims to integrate border populations into the national mainstream with focus on livelihood generation, infrastructure and connectivity.
He said the programme also aims to saturate all villages in four thematic areas — all-weather road connectivity, telecom connectivity, television connectivity and electrification through convergence under existing scheme norms.
“Every effort is being made to ensure that the aspirations of every single citizen are fulfilled, that the development demands of border residents are met. Furthermore, by adopting a ‘whole-of-government approach’, we aim to ensure that every target set under the Vibrant Villages programme is achieved,” he said.
Sinha directed officials to ensure that every household in the border villages has access to electricity, mobile connectivity and economic independence.
“We must ensure that by 2030, not a single family in the border villages of Samba remains below the poverty line,” he added.
Responding to the demands raised by the Ramgarh MLA, the LG reiterated that the administration is committed to providing land ownership rights to displaced persons from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) and West Pakistan Refugees (WPRs).
He also stated that the completion of the Shahpur Kandi dam would provide a massive boost to the region’s agricultural productivity.
Sinha lauded Regal for becoming a TB-free village and urged continued vigilance regarding clean drinking water and the collective fight against drug abuse.
He also handed over appointment orders to special police officers and sanction letters to various youth of the village and beneficiaries under Holistic Agriculture Development Programme, Mission Yuva and other schemes.
During his visit to the Regal Border Out Post, the LG interacted with the jawans and lauded their unwavering determination in guarding the nation’s frontiers, commending their exemplary role in Operation Sindoor.
