SHILLONG, Feb 23: Members of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly from both the Treasury and Opposition benches on Monday pressed the state government for clear details on the Centre’s Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP) Phase II, questioning how villages were chosen, how much funding the state will receive, and what the replacement of the Border Area Development Programme (BADP) means for ongoing projects.
UDP MLA Balajied Synrem said there was no clarity on the share of national VVP funds earmarked for Meghalaya and questioned whether MLAs from border constituencies had been adequately consulted in planning. He also warned that several community assets built under the now-scrapped BADP-such as rural roads and local facilities along the India–Bangladesh border-are facing maintenance problems because line departments have not taken ownership.
Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma told the Assembly that 92 villages in Meghalaya have been identified under VVP Phase II but that the state has not yet received project-wise financial allocations from the Centre. He explained that Phase I targeted villages along the India–China border while Phase II extends coverage to other international borders, including those with Bangladesh, and that village selection was carried out by the Ministry of Home Affairs using its own criteria.
The CM confirmed that the BADP was discontinued by the central government in September 2022 and replaced by the VVP. He added that, despite limited resources, the state government continues to provide some funding for border-area development.
Several MLAs sought greater local involvement. Mawsynram MLA Olan Sing Suin said the state’s Border Area Development Department was not consulted during selection and pointed to disparities within his constituency. Ampati MLA Miani D. Shira pressed for the exact selection criteria, noting earlier schemes used proximity to the international border as a benchmark.
Sangma reiterated that the detailed selection criteria rest with the Centre but said discussions had considered remoteness, economic backwardness, security sensitivity and law-and-order concerns. He outlined that VVP’s focus is “saturation-based” development in critical sectors-all-weather road connectivity, telecom and 4G services, electrification, television connectivity, livelihood generation, tourism promotion, education infrastructure and skill development-and clarified the programme applies only to international border areas. Separate provisions exist for interstate border development, and the state’s 2025–26 budget includes about Rs 14.99 crore for interstate border projects.
Original Source: https://theshillongtimes.com/2026/02/24/legislators-seek-clarity-on-criteria-benefits-of-vibrant-villages-programme/
Category: MEGHALAYA
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Publish Date: 2026-02-24 02:46:00
