Centre Releases ₹146.42 Crore to West Bengal Under Border Area Development Programme.

The central government has disbursed ₹146.42 crore to West Bengal under the Border Area Development Programme (BADP) since 2019-20, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai informed the Lok Sabha recently.

In a written reply, Rai stated that the remaining central share of committed liability for all states and union territories under BADP amounts to ₹53.34 crore, including ₹1.93 crore for West Bengal. The funds under BADP are released for approved projects and allocated by state governments and union territories to district administrations, he added.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has emphasized that BADP is implemented as part of a comprehensive border management strategy to meet the developmental needs of people living in remote areas near international borders. The initiative aims to strengthen infrastructure and enhance security for border communities through coordinated efforts between central, state, and local authorities.

Initiated during the Seventh Five-Year Plan, BADP focuses on balanced regional development, particularly in the western border regions. The programme currently covers 457 blocks across 117 districts in 16 states and two union territories, including Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal.

A significant portion of BADP funding for 2024-25 was allocated to Sikkim, according to the MHA. In Assam, BADP covers 28 border blocks across eight districts, with funds utilized for constructing schools, public health centers, community centers, roads, culverts, bridges, social infrastructure, and drinking water facilities.

ET