• UGI USER
  • Feb 15, 2024
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CHINESE OCCUPATION OF BORDER VILLAGES

Why in the News?

  • China has begun occupying its “Xiaokang” border defence villages along India’s northeastern borders, built since 2019.
  • Recent reports indicate Chinese nationals have started residing in villages near Lohit Valley and the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh.

About Infrastructure Development :

  • India’s military expresses worry over the villages, showing China’s territorial claims along the LAC.
  • China has constructed 628 such villages along the border with Tibet. Infrastructure development extends from Tawang to Siang valley.

India’s Response:

  • India has also enhanced border infrastructure, focusing on connectivity, alternate routes, and modernizing border villages.
  • Programs like the Vibrant Villages aim to develop 663 border villages, with 17 selected as pilot projects along the China border.
About Vibrant Villages Programme

·    Centrally sponsored scheme introduced in Union Budget 2022-23 (until 2025-26) aims to develop villages along the northern border, enhancing residents’ quality of life.

·    Target areas include Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, and Ladakh.

·    Encompassing 2,963 villages, with 663 in the initial phase.

·    District administrations, aided by Gram Panchayats, will formulate Vibrant Village Action Plans.