Will Make Assam Flood-Free In Next 5 Years’: Amit Shah At VVP-II Launch In Natanpur

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday (February 20) launched the second phase of the Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP-II) from the bordering village Natanpur in Katigorah, Cachar, asserting that Assam’s two major problems in the past were infiltration and militancy.

Addressing a gathering, Shah said that issues such as “snatching away of land and opportunities” were consequences of infiltration, which, he claimed, had adversely affected the people of Assam for years. He alleged that open borders during the Congress era had led to infiltration, impacting land ownership, agricultural produce and employment opportunities for local youth.

Highlighting the vision behind the programme, Shah reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement that border villages should not be seen as the “last villages” of India but as the “first villages.” He said, “There was a time when bordering villages were called the “last villages” of our country. They were not just last in terms of geography, but also in development, employment, electricity, and education. During Phase I of the programme, our Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the bordering villages of our country are not the last villages, but the “first villages” of India”.

Natanpur will now becoming a “first village” in terms of employment, education, road infrastructure and telephone connectivity, he further added.

Under VVP-II, Rs. 6,900 crore will be spent to develop 334 blocks and 1,954 villages across 17 states. In Assam, the scheme will cover 9 districts, 26 blocks and 140 villages. Shah said these villages would receive comprehensive development benefits comparable to any other village in the country.

The programme covers villages along the Pakistan and Bangladesh borders and includes schemes related to security, saturation of welfare benefits and connectivity.

Turning to state issues, Shah said that after the BJP came to power in Assam ten years ago, stopping infiltration was made a top priority. He further stated that in recent years, lakhs of bighas of land had been freed from alleged illegal encroachment. He also claimed that militancy-related incidents such as bomb blasts and armed conflict had significantly reduced.

Citing development figures, Shah said that over the last five years, Assam has built 14 km of roads per day, upgraded more than 24,000 km of roads and constructed four major bridges. He added that multidimensional poverty in the state had declined from 37% in 2013 to 14% in 2024.

On flood mitigation, Shah said that in the next five years, the government aims to make Assam flood-free by diverting Brahmaputra floodwaters to farmers’ fields and lakes to support irrigation and boost tourism.
He also highlighted industrial growth in the state, mentioning a Rs. 27,000 crore semiconductor plant and Assam’s emergence as a healthcare hub.

Shah also said that Assembly elections are scheduled in April and expressed confidence that the BJP would return to power to continue development in Assam and make Barak Valley free from floods and infiltration.