Rajouri, 17 April 2026: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday emphasized that a nation is defined by its remotest village where our borders begin and our identity shines before the world.
“Under the visionary leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji, India advances with renewed resolve. Border areas are no longer the nation’s edge but its first village and foremost opportunity. New commitment thrives and connection with mainstream has taken root,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
The Lieutenant Governor was speaking at a public gathering during his visit to vibrant village Sariah in Rajouri, where he inaugurated the Common Service Centre and initiated several development projects. These projects include Water Conservation Works under JSJB 2.0 and development of playgrounds in vibrant villages Sariah, Pukharni, Bhawani, Chapardhara and Namban. He also paid tributes to Brig. Mohammad Usman.
The Lieutenant Governor said that through the Border Area Development Programme under Vibrant Villages Programme, we are ensuring infrastructure and welfare schemes reach every border village.
“No map fully captures the true essence of our border villages, which reveal only lines. Within those lines, I see a vibrant society and steadfast families advancing the nation’s progress,” he said.
The Lieutenant Governor said that national security flows from soldiers at the borders and border village residents who dwell there.
“A road reaching a border village builds not just passage but unshakeable confidence in our defense. Electricity lighting a border village home offers not mere illumination but fresh hope. Employment for a border village youth transforms not only one life but the trajectory of an entire community.
My vision is clear that border village development is integral to national security, and every border village must rank among our nation’s most prosperous,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
The Lieutenant Governor said that since assuming responsibility for Jammu Kashmir in August 2020, he had prioritized border villages’ aspirations.
“In border villages where women rise each dawn dreaming of brighter futures for their children amid challenges, where farmers toiling in their soil through hardships, and where communities stand as sentinels without uniforms, we have ignited a new dawn of progress,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
The Lieutenant Governor also called upon officers to achieve 100% saturation of HADP, Mission Youth, Mudra Yojana, and all welfare schemes, leaving no eligible citizen behind.
“Our commitment has transformed lives, and I affirm with confidence that change is tangible in Jammu Kashmir’s border villages where roads now weave networks, healthcare is thriving, digital connectivity is transforming the education sector and residents now feel integrated to India’s rapid growth,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
The Lieutenant Governor said true development means equal opportunity, dignity, and instilled confidence and the Vibrant Villages Programme embodies this, advancing employment, education, infrastructure, and digital empowerment holistically.
“It is our moral duty to secure every citizen’s brighter future. Sariah’s border village residents have guarded our borders alongside soldiers; we owe them comprehensive progress, leaving none behind.
Border village residents have endured much for this nation; now, they must stand at prosperity’s core. A developed India demands a strong rural heartland, incomplete without its first villages. I call upon Sariah’s residents to unite in realizing the Vibrant Village resolve. All officials will ensure 100% saturation of every central scheme and welfare program,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
On the occasion, the Lieutenant Governor visited the exhibition on Gyan Bharatam and inspected the stalls installed by various departments and stakeholders. He launched the Vibrant Village Anthem and handed over sanction letters and appointment letters to various beneficiaries under Mission Yuva, HADP, PM Mudra, PMAY-G and other different schemes. The Lieutenant Governor also distributed TV Sets with DTH, and felicitated TB Cured Warrior, Nasha Mukt Abhiyaan volunteers, and citizens from diverse backgrounds for their valuable contribution to society.
Shri Atal Dulloo, Chief Secretary; Shri Nalin Prabhat, DGP J&K; Shri Shaleen Kabra, Additional Chief Secretary, Jal Shakti Department; Shri Ashwani Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary, Power Development Department; Ms R. Alice Vaz, Commissioner Secretary to Government, Planning and Information; Shri Ramesh Kumar, Divisional Commissioner Jammu; Shri Bhim Sen Tuti, IGP Jammu; Shri Amitava Chatterjee, MD & CEO, J&K Bank; Shri Abhishek Sharma, Deputy Commissioner Rajouri; senior officials of army, police and civil administration, political leaders, prominent citizens and people in large number were present.
