Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda highlighted the role of the sarpanches in the border areas to protect the country. Interacting with the 400 sarpanches from border villages in New Delhi, Mr Munda said that  the main objective of the Vibrant Village Program is to promote development in the villages along the Indian border.

He added that the government has accorded importance to those villages and regarded them as the first village in the border area. Mr Munda also expressed his happiness at their participation of sarpanches as special guests in the Independence Day celebration at red fort.