Minister for Home Affairs Amit Shah speaks during a two-day workshop on Vibrant Villages Programme, in New Delhi on August 26, 2025. Photo: X/@AmitShah/X via PTI
Demographic changes in border areas is occurring as part of a deliberate design, said Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday (August 26, 2025).
Speaking at the inauguration session of the two-day Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP) workshop, in which he was the chief guest, Mr. Shah said demographic changes in border areas directly impact the security of the country and its borders. “It should not be assumed that this is happening due to geographical conditions; rather, it is occurring as part of a deliberate design,” he added.
He urged Collectors of border districts to take appropriate action to remove illegal religious encroachments, stating that the encroachments are part of a deliberate design. He stressed that all illegal encroachments within at least a 30-kilometre radius from the border should be removed.
Highlighting that Gujarat has done “commendable work in this regard,” a statement from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said the western State has cleared numerous encroachments along both maritime and land borders.
Mr. Shah stated that the Vibrant Villages Programme is based on three key points: preventing migration from border villages, ensuring that every citizen of border villages receives cent per cent benefits of Central and State Government schemes, and developing the villages under VVP into strong tools to strengthen border and national security.
The centrally-sponsored ‘Vibrant Village Programme’, launched in 2023, for comprehensive development of the select villages in border districts or northern, northeast and north-western borders of India.
The phase two of the project was launched in April 2025 with an outlay of ₹6,839 crore till the Financial Year 2028-29.
Published – August 26, 2025 02:51 pm IST
