46,257 of 46,579 Households Electrified Under VVP in JK, CS Calls for Final Push

SRINAGAR: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo on Thursday reviewed the implementation of the centrally funded Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP) in Jammu and Kashmir and called for a detailed gap analysis to ensure smooth rollout across identified border blocks.

The programme aims to cover 124 villages across 43 blocks in JK’s border districts, with the goal of saturating four key areas — all-weather road connectivity, 4G telecom coverage, television access, and on-grid electrification — by leveraging convergence with existing Government of India schemes.

Of the 124 targeted villages, 118 are already connected by roads under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana-IV (PMGSY-IV), while telecom coverage currently reaches 83 villages, with efforts underway to cover the remaining 41 under the Digital Bharat Nidhi scheme. In terms of television connectivity, 23,976 of 40,726 households have DTH access, being expanded through the BIND scheme. The electrification target is nearly met, with 46,257 of 46,579 households already connected through the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS).

The Chief Secretary directed Deputy Commissioners to identify existing gaps in each of the four thematic areas and to frame convergence-based action plans for the entire scheme period. He also called for an activity calendar to be developed for awareness and momentum-building across the districts.

Secretary of Planning, Development and Monitoring Department (PD&MD), Talat Parvez Rohella, said the scheme is part of a wider initiative covering 15 States and 2 Union Territories, focusing on holistic development of strategically significant border areas.

Senior officials from the Revenue, Forest, and IT departments, along with BSNL representatives and other concerned officers, attended the meeting. The Chief Secretary emphasised regular inter-departmental coordination, formation of block and district-level monitoring teams, and finalisation of village-wise saturation plans.

The VVP is intended to improve accessibility, strengthen economic linkages, and preserve local culture, forming a key component of India’s border development strategy.