NEW DELHI: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UHA) on November 5, 2018, released ₹113.36 crores to six border states under the Border Area Development Programme (BADP) to improve the condition of people living in these isolated locations.
The six border states are Assam, Nagaland, Sikkim, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand.
With this, so far, the Home Ministry has released a total of Rs 637.98 crore during 2018-19 to states having International Border. These funds were in addition to Rs 1100 crore released in 2017-18 for the all-round development of villages located along the International Border in 17 states.
India shares border with Pakistan (3323 km), China (3488 km), Nepal (1751 km), Bhutan(699 km), Myanmar (1643 km) and Bangladesh (4096 km).
What is the Border Area Development Programme (BADP)?
The Border Area Development Programme was started in the year 1986-87 for balanced development of border areas of States bordering Pakistan namely, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Gujarat and Rajasthan and subsequently it was extended to all the land borders.
The BADP covers 111 border districts in 17 states to meet special development needs of the border population with a focus on the people living within 50 kilometres of the International Border.
The 17 states are Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.
The BADP schemes include construction of primary health centres, schools, and supply of drinking water, community centres, connectivity, and drainage to enable sustainable living in border areas.
It also entails schemes or activities relating to skill development programmes and construction of helipads in remote and inaccessible hilly areas which do not have road connectivity. Skill development training to farmers for the use of modern and scientific techniques in agriculture, organic farming is also part of the BADP.
It involves promotion of sports activities in border areas, promotion of rural tourism and border tourism, and protection of heritage sites.
As many as 61 model villages are being developed under the BADP to improve the quality of life for the border population.
A total of Rs 13400 crore has been released since the BADP programme was initiated in 1986-87.
