Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday described border villages as the nation’s first line of defence, praising residents for their courage and sacrifice, and said they remain a top priority for Narendra Modi.
There must be no gap between what the government promises and what people actually receive, he said.
“Border villages are India’s first line of defence, and the residents are the first face of India that any outsider sees. Border residents are not only first in courage, sacrifice, and patience but also stand first in the priorities of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” Sinha said.
The Lieutenant Governor said that the residents of border villages are serving the nation every single day. “That service must not be honoured only in words, but reflected clearly in the quality of life of every family.”
Sinha was speaking at a public event organised under the Vibrant Villages Programme at the border village of Makwal in Jammu.
The Lieutenant Governor directed officials to ensure that no family is left out and no genuine need goes unnoticed.
“While planning or executing any scheme, always remember that every family in Makwal and in our other border villages is not just living on the border, but standing guard for India,” he said.
“To live here, to build a prosperous society here with complete dedication to the service of nation-building and national security is an act of extraordinary courage. Every moment of residents of border villages is the most powerful symbol of patriotism,” he said.
He said that more than a decade ago, border villages were routinely neglected, but that time is over.
“Under the leadership of the prime minister, whether it is Jammu and Kashmir or the border villages of the North-East, the distance from Delhi has shrunk in a real sense,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
The Lieutenant Governor directed that all government officials must remove obstacles and ensure that Makwal and all other border villages receive every required resource.
“Our effort will be to ensure that more resources reach Makwal and other border villages than even the cities of the UT. The number of villages formally notified as Vibrant Villages in Jammu district may be limited, but it is the clear effort of the Prime Minister and Home Minister Amit Shah that all 541 border villages of Jammu district develop with the same energy and vision,” he said.
He further directed the appointment of dedicated nodal officers for border villages and the submission of monthly progress reports of the villages under the Vibrant Villages Programme.
Sinha reiterated his resolve to ensure every border village is connected with better roads, fully functional schools, and abundant opportunities for the youth.
With this mindset, he said, all stakeholders must work together to transform border villages into model villages.
Assuring all necessary support to the youth, the Lieutenant Governor said there is no shortage of talent in Makwal and other border villages.
“What is needed today is the right direction for that talent. We must strengthen youth entrepreneurship and women’s self-help groups so that our youth, mothers and sisters are not only the backbone of their own families but also drivers of social and economic progress across the region,” he said.
Sinha highlighted that the Centre is reaching the doorstep of every family in border villages with central schemes, and that in the last five to six years, efforts have been made to ensure that every border village in Jammu and Kashmir becomes more prosperous, more vibrant, and truly inspiring.
“Before 2019, around one-third of families in our border blocks were below the poverty line. In the last five to six years, a significant proportion of these families has moved out of poverty, and we have sharply expanded road connectivity to nearly every border village.
Responding to the demands, he assured that appropriate action will be taken to address the issues of the residents of Makwal.
On land ownership rights of PoJK displaced persons, the Lieutenant Governor said directions issued in 2024 are under implementation and entrusted the Divisional Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner to ensure timely execution.
