Sustainability at border villages

The formation of the "Indo-China Border Development Legislators' Forum of Arunachal Pradesh" is a timely move to prevent the exodus of people from villages along the India-China border. The rising exodus of people from border villages in Arunachal Pradesh for greener pastures speaks volumes about the areas along the international border lacking basic amenities for the residents. There are about 600 villages along the India-China border in Arunachal Pradesh and preventing out-migration of people from these strategic villages is critical to India safeguarding its territory. China disputes the international boundary with India and claims Arunachal Pradesh to be a part of southern Tibet even after India's assertion that the state is an integral part of India. The exodus of people from Indian border villages in Arunachal Pradesh will have a bearing on the country's security as China has scaled up development work in Tibet along the border through the construction of roads, bridges, and other infrastructure projects along the border. The objective of the forum of 11 legislators from border areas is to plan and formulate strategies for ensuring development along the international border with China, Myanmar and Bhutan. The constitution of the forum has put the spotlight on the implementation of the Border Area Development Programme (BADP) in the frontier state.The Revised Guidelines of the BADP issued last year states its main objective to be meeting the special developmental needs and well-being of the people living in remote and inaccessible areas situated near international borders and to these areas with essential infrastructure by the convergence of the Border Area Development Scheme, various other central or state or local government schemes. The BADP is also anchored on the objective of creating a positive perception of care by the country among the people living in border areas through the provision of essential infrastructure and opportunities for sustainable living and encourage them to stay on in the border areas. The BADP is a core centrally-sponsored scheme of the Ministry of Home Affairs with a 90:10 funding pattern for North-eastern states and focuses on six thematic areas - basic infrastructure, health infrastructure, education, agriculture and water resources, financial inclusion, and skill development. The programme covers all the census villages/ towns, semi-urban and urban areas located within 0-10 km distance from the first habitation from international boundary and villages and urban areas identified by Border Guarding Forces as 'strategic villages/towns' are given the highest priority. Once the 0-10 km area is saturated with development needs, work under BADP can be extended to 50 km areas from the international boundary. Additional allocation of 10% of the total allocated funds under BADP to the States/ Union Territories along the India-China border is of the emphasis on saturating this border with development projects and infrastructure. Monitoring of evaluation of fund utilization and assets created is important to find out why the objectives of BADP could not be achieved to curb the exodus of people from some villages along the India-China border. An audit report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India for the year ending in March 2017 brought slight irregularities in the implementation of BADP in the past in the state. The audit covering BADP implementation from 2012-13 to 2016-17 revealed that the Planning Department did not prepare a village-wise long-term plan for prioritization of projects according to the needs of border villages and saturation of border villages with necessary infrastructures was not followed as per laid down guidelines. The report revealed that 126 villages out of total 245 identified villages in Tawang district, 57 villages out of total 132 identified villages in Upper Subansiri district located within 0-10 km of the international border did not have basic essential facilities such as drinking water, electricity, Anganwadi centres and public toilets while schemes were taken up in villages beyond 10 km or beyond 50 km. Besides, delays were ranging between one month and 23 months in the release of funds by the State Government to implementing districts and an Audit inspection revealed that besides doubtful expenditure, wasteful expenditure, violation of scheme guidelines assets created under BADP were lying idle. Official and contractors involved in such irregularities and lapses, which made life and livelihoods unstainable in most of these border villages triggering exodus, have committed unpardonable crimes of compromising with national security and must be held accountable. Corrective actions based on CAG findings will ensure judicious utilization of the BADP fund and saturating border villages with all required infrastructure. The CAG report indicated that apart from the flow of funds from the Central government, the State government ensuring proper planning, judicious utilization of funds released, and timely submission of utilization certificates through monitoring and evaluation is important to make BADP achieve its objectives. People living along the international borders serve as the eyes and ears of the troops deployed. Proper implementation of BADP is crucial in reversing the migration from border villages in Arunachal Pradesh.