Union Home Ministry releases Rs 113 crore to 6 Border States for development purpose

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs on November 5, 2018 released Rs 113.36 crore to 6 Border States under the Border Area Development Programme (BADP) to improve the condition of people living in these isolated locations.

These 6 Border States are Assam, Nagaland, Sikkim, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand.

With this, so far, the Home Ministry has released a total of Rs 637.98 crore during 2018-19 to states having International Border. These funds were in addition to Rs 1100 crore released in 2017-18 for the all-round development of villages located along the International Border in 17 states.

Border Area Development Programme (BADP)

• The Border Area Development Programme was started in the year 1986-87 for balanced development of border areas of States bordering Pakistan namely, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Gujarat and Rajasthan and subsequently it was extended to all the land borders.

• Now, the BADP covers 111 border districts in 17 states to meet special development needs of border population with a focus on the people living within 50 kilometres of the International Border.

• The 17 states are Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.

• The BADP schemes include construction of primary health centres, schools, and supply of drinking water, community centres, connectivity, and drainage to enable sustainable living in border areas.

• It also covers schemes or activities relating to Swachhta Abhiyan, skill development programmes, and construction of helipads in remote and inaccessible hilly areas which do not have road connectivity.

• It involves promotion of sports activities in border areas, promotion of rural tourism and border tourism, and protection of heritage sites.

• Skill development training to farmers for the use of modern and scientific techniques in agriculture, organic farming is also part of the BADP.

• As many as 61 model villages are being developed under the BADP to improve the quality of life for the border population.

• A total of Rs 13400 crore has been released since the BADP programme was initiated in 1986-87.