Uttarakhand's Mana named India's first village, located along LAC

Uttarakhand: The Border Roads Organisation on Tuesday put up a signboard at the entrance of Mana village in Uttarakhand reading 'India's first village'. It is along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in October 2022 visited the village and said border villages are India's first villages and not the last.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami shared the news about the new signboard on Twitter and wrote: "Now Mana will not be known as the last but the first village of the country." He added that the state government is always dedicated to the all-around development of the border areas.

The renaming is part of the Centre's vibrant village scheme and Mana village is a tourist destination close to Badrinath in Chamoli district. The vibrant village was mentioned in the Budget speech and aims to develop villages in 46 border blocks in 19 districts, four states, and one Union Territory.

The CM said that vibrant village action plans have been prepared by the district administration in collaboration with gram panchayats. This will give wings to the products of these regions, crops including herbs, apples, rajma as well as the possibilities of development here. He added the scheme is also helpful in preventing migration from the border areas. Residents will also be able to participate in the security of the country.

According to the Uttarakhand Tourism website, Mana is home to the Mongol tribe Bhotias. It is located 3219 metres above sea level and the best time to visit is from May to early November. During the rest of the months, snowfall makes the region inaccessible.

Mana village is famous for the herbs found in the region which have health benefits.