SRINAGAR: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday said that India’s identity is shaped by its remotest border villages, describing them as the “first villages” of the nation rather than its edge, while inaugurating development projects under the Vibrant Villages Programme in Rajouri district.
Speaking at Sariah village, the Lt Governor inaugurated a Common Service Centre, water conservation works under Jal Shakti Abhiyan 2.0, and playgrounds across Sariah, Pukharni, Bhawani, Chapardhara and Namban. He said the Centre’s Vibrant Villages initiative aims to ensure infrastructure and welfare delivery in every border habitation.
Sinha said that border areas are emerging as centres of opportunity under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, adding that development in these regions strengthens both national security and community confidence. He stressed that roads, electricity, and employment in border villages directly contribute to strengthening defence preparedness and improving living standards.
He underlined that border village development is integral to national security and called for comprehensive progress so that every such village becomes economically strong and self-reliant. The Lt Governor also urged full saturation of key schemes including the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP), Mission Youth, and PM Mudra Yojana.
During the visit, he launched the Vibrant Village Anthem, distributed television sets with DTH connections, and felicitated TB-recovered individuals and volunteers associated with the Nasha Mukt Abhiyaan.
Senior officials including Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat, and Divisional Commissioner Jammu Ramesh Kumar were present at the event.
