Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off six Vande Bharat trains on Sunday for Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh at Ranchi. Earlier, the PM was scheduled to flag off the trains from Tatanagar but his chopped could not take off due to poor visibility and inclement weather conditions.
Speaking on the occasion, Modi said there was a time when development was limited to certain cities of the country. "States like Jharkhand lagged in terms of modern development. But the approach of 'Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas' has changed the mentality of the country. Now the poor, Adivasi and Dalits are the priority of our nation," he added.
He also distributed sanction letters to 20,000 Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) beneficiaries in Tatanagar during the event which was also attended by Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
The Prime Minister launched launched various projects worth Rs 660 crore including include laying the foundation stone for the Madhupur bypass line in Deoghar district and the Hazaribag town coaching depot.
He also dedicated to the nation doubling of the Kurkura-Kanaroan line, which is a part of the Bondamunda-Ranchi single-line section and the Rourkela-Gomoh route via Ranchi, Muri and Chandrapura stations.
Besides, Modi also launched four road-under-bridges (RUBs).
He said that the rail and other projects would boost industry, tourism, economic growth and development in the eastern region. He also noted that Jharkhand has joined the list of states where 100 per cent electrification of the railway network has been achieved.
"The Centre has increased its investment for the development of Jharkhand. This year, Jharkhand has been given an allocation of Rs 7,000 crore for the development of railway infrastructure," he added.