Jammu, Aug 20 (NVI): Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday visited Karol Krishna, a border village in Kathua district, and said villages along the frontier are not the last villages of the country but its “first villages” and the frontline of India’s identity and development.
Karol Krishna, along with Rathua, Gujjar Chak, Gajnal, Bobiya and Kadiyala, is covered under Phase-II of the Centre’s Vibrant Villages Programme.
During his visit, Sinha handed over benefits under various government schemes to local families and appointment letters to youth.
Addressing residents of the six border villages, the Lieutenant Governor said the Centre has brought frontier villages into the mainstream of development, with roads, electricity, telecommunications and education reaching households.
“When the story of India’s development is written, its first chapter should begin in villages like Karol Krishna, Rathua, Gajnal, Bobiya, Kadiyala and Gujjar Chak, where India’s border breathes and the tricolour flutters,” he said.
Sinha said all 216 border villages in Kathua district have been connected by roads since 2019 and have achieved full electrification. He said access to telecommunication and television, which was earlier limited, has also expanded to households.
The Lieutenant Governor said poverty in the border areas has declined, migration to cities has been reduced by half and rural incomes have increased by around 30 per cent. Employment opportunities have also expanded, with unemployment reduced to nearly half of earlier levels, he said.
More than 2,000 individual and community bunkers have been constructed for the safety of border residents, Sinha said, stressing that the ultimate objective should be to take the entire population above the poverty line.
He also highlighted the role of women self-help groups in strengthening the local economy. Under the National Rural Livelihood Mission, more than 1,300 self-help groups have been formed, benefiting over 12,000 families, he said.
Women in these villages are engaged in tailoring, embroidery, handicrafts and other small enterprises, contributing to household incomes and local economic activity, Sinha said.
He urged the youth of border villages to pursue opportunities in agriculture, tourism, defence-support services and traditional crafts, and said government schools in the areas have witnessed improvements in infrastructure, digital classrooms, vocational training and academic facilities.
Describing the Vibrant Villages Programme as more than an infrastructure initiative, Sinha said it was aimed at ensuring dignity, opportunity and security for people living along the borders.
He outlined four priorities for the development of border villages — promoting self-reliance by connecting villages with markets, empowering youth through new employment opportunities, strengthening healthcare and telemedicine services, and reinforcing security infrastructure.
“Development and security are not separate goals but they are two pillars of the same goal. Only a secure village can become a prosperous village, and only prosperous villages can build a self-reliant and developed India,” he said.
Sinha also called upon residents to take greater responsibility for the future of their villages and assured them that shortcomings in development would be addressed.
“You are not the periphery of the country but you are the front line. You are the place from where India becomes visible,” he said.
During his visit to the Karol Krishna Border Out Post, Sinha interacted with BSF personnel and commended their commitment to guarding the nation’s borders and their service during Operation Sindoor.
He stressed the need for continued vigilance to thwart and neutralise any hostile attempts along the border.
The Lieutenant Governor also assured residents that their demands would be addressed promptly.
Hiranagar MLA Vijay Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary Jal Shakti Shaleen Kabra, Additional Chief Secretary Power Development Department Ashwani Kumar, IGP Jammu Bhim Sen Tuti, IG BSF Asif Jalal and other senior civil, police and security officials were present during the visit.(NVI)
