Jammu, 23 November (H.S.): A comprehensive roadmap has been prepared for the focused development of 124 strategic villages across 43 border blocks in eight districts under the second phase of the Vibrant Villages Programme in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Sunday.

The information was shared at a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo here to assess the progress and implementation of the Vibrant Villages Programme-II (VVP-II) in the Union territory, an official spokesman said.

He said a robust institutional framework has been established with the designation of nodal departments and officers at the UT and district levels, along with the constitution of screening committees by the General Administration Department (GAD).

The programme covers the border districts of Baramulla, Bandipora and Kupwara in north Kashmir, and Samba, Jammu, Kathua, Rajouri and Poonch in the Jammu division, he said.

A comprehensive gap analysis has been conducted across 1,421 border villages to achieve saturation in four critical areas – all-weather road connectivity under PMGSY-IV, telecom connectivity under Digital Bharat Nidhi, on-grid electrification through RDSS, and television connectivity under the BIND scheme.

While 1,378 villages have already been connected with road infrastructure, 30 strategic villages have been proposed for connectivity under PMGSY-IV, the spokesman said, adding that surveys for 169 habitations have also been completed for seeking norm relaxations to facilitate connectivity in difficult terrains.

With respect to telecom connectivity, the meeting was informed that the BSNL has expedited 4G saturation surveys, with 98 of the selected vibrant villages currently covered and plans are underway to extend services to the remaining shadow areas, particularly in Kupwara and Bandipora districts, the spokesman said.

Regarding electrification, he said the districts of Jammu, Samba and Kathua have achieved 100 per cent coverage.

The power development department has been directed to prioritise pending works in Tulail Valley and Kupwara to ensure grid connectivity for the remaining 1,402 households in Kupwara and 2,574 households in Bandipora, he said.

To bridge the information and communication gap, the spokesman said focused efforts are being made to provide DTH facilities to households with television sets, especially in the border blocks of Baramulla and Kupwara.

District nodal officers have completed verification of local government directory (LGD) codes and are in the process of finalising village action plans, which utilise geo-tagging technology to align development works with village-specific needs identified during the gap analysis, the spokesman said.

Beyond physical infrastructure, the VVP-II also prioritises financial inclusion, tourism promotion and preservation of cultural heritage.

The roadmap includes organising medical camps, awareness campaigns and tourism initiatives aimed at boosting the local economy and strengthening national integration, the spokesman said.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Krishan Kumar