Leh: Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Chemicals and Fertilizers, J. P. Nadda, has announced that Ladakh is among the Union Territories to benefit from Phase-I of the Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP), an ambitious initiative aimed at revitalising India’s border settlements.
Highlighting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision, Nadda said the narrative of these remote areas has changed — they are no longer regarded as the “last villages” but celebrated as the “first villages” of India.
In Phase-I, 662 villages have been identified across Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, and Ladakh. The programme focuses on improving infrastructure, providing better connectivity, and creating livelihood opportunities, thereby empowering border communities to become secure, vibrant, and self-reliant.
Nadda said coordinated efforts are underway by multiple ministries to develop roads, electricity, digital connectivity, healthcare, education, and economic activities such as tourism, handicrafts, and agriculture. These measures aim to curb outmigration, boost local confidence, and strengthen the strategic and social fabric of the border areas.
The Vibrant Villages Programme is expected to transform life in Ladakh’s remote settlements, ensuring they are not only safeguarded but also made prosperous and dynamic hubs of growth.
