Imphal: Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh on Saturday, attended a state-level workshop on the “Vibrant Villages Programme–II” at Sangai Hall in Hotel Imphal, with a focus on accelerating development in border areas and improving inter-departmental coordination.
Organised by the Planning Department, the workshop brought together senior officials and administrators to deliberate on strategies, challenges and implementation mechanisms for the programme in the state.
Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister said 143 villages in Manipur have been identified under the second phase of the Centre’s Vibrant Villages Programme, which seeks to promote development in villages located along international borders. He said the initiative aims to strengthen infrastructure, improve connectivity, and enhance livelihood opportunities and service delivery in these areas.
The programme is part of a Rs 6,839-crore Central Sector Scheme covering the period from 2024-25 to 2028-29, targeting the development of 1,954 border villages across 15 states and two Union Territories. It focuses on saturation-level development in villages along international land borders not covered under the first phase.
Chief Secretary Puneet Kumar Goel highlighted the need for coordinated planning involving border guarding forces and civil administration. He said a gap analysis had been carried out to assess deficiencies in infrastructure and connectivity across identified areas.
He outlined priority sectors, including road connectivity, expansion of telecom services and 4G connectivity under BharatNet, and electrification. He also underscored the need for focused interventions in districts such as Churachandpur, Kamjong, Ukhrul and Tengnoupal.
The workshop was attended by Major General Gaurav Sharma, IGAR (South), senior state government officials, and Deputy Commissioners of Kamjong, Ukhrul, Churachandpur, Tengnoupal and Chandel.