ITANAGAR, July 14: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Monday announced that 66 remote villages along the Indo–Myanmar border have been identified under the Centre’s ambitious Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP), a flagship initiative aimed at fostering last-mile development in India’s strategic frontier districts.
In a post on social media, CM Khandu revealed that these selected villages are spread across the border districts of Tirap, Changlang, and Longding. Specifically, 42 villages fall within Changlang district, 13 in Longding, and 11 in Tirap district.
Khandu stated that the VVP will focus on improving key infrastructure and amenities, such as roads, telecommunications, electricity, livelihoods, and skill development. The initiative aims to enhance the quality of life in border regions and strengthen national security by encouraging residents to remain in these remote settlements.
According to the 2011 Census data, the most populous among the selected villages is Wakka in Longding, with over 2,000 residents. Gandhigram in Changlang follows with 1,754 people, while Khanu in Longding has a population of 1,629. On the other hand, the least populated villages—all located in Changlang—include Old Potuk (41), Gaherigram (57), and Lungtung (71).
In Tirap district, the identified villages include: Old Bunting, Sanliam, Raho, Lazu, Noglo, Upper Chinhan, Lower Chinhan, Tutnyu, Lonyen, New Kothung, and Nogna.
The Longding district list features: Wakka, Khanu, Chongkhow, Chop, Khogla, Kampong, Jagan, Khasa, Konnu, Konsa, Lower Pongchau, Pongchau, Pongchau HQ, and Votnu.
Changlang district’s 42 villages span seven blocks: Khagam-Miao, Kantang, Khimiyong, Manmao, Nampong, Yatdam, and Vijoynagar.
Officials noted that the scheme aims to bridge developmental gaps across key sectors—connectivity, livelihood generation, housing, tourism, skill development, and renewable energy—to make these villages self-sustaining and resilient. One of the core objectives is to counter migration from these sensitive border areas by empowering local communities.
In the first phase of the Vibrant Villages Programme, launched on February 15, 2023, the Union government had approved 455 villages along the Indo-Bhutan and Indo-Tibet borders, out of which 135 villages were previously unconnected.
