PM Modi holds 10km roadshow in Ranchi; to launch Vikasit Bharat Sankalp Yatra

Ranchi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a 10-km roadshow in Jharkhand's capital Ranchi around 10pm on Tuesday.

The 45-minute roadshow began amid tight security soon after Modi landed at the Birsa Munda airport, officials said.

Thousands of people lined up on both sides of the road from the airport to the Raj Bhavan to greet the PM. They showered flower petals on his vehicle at designated spots.

Modi is on a two-day Jharkhand visit beginning on the eve of tribal icon Birsa Munda's birth anniversary that also happens to be Jharkhand's statehood day on November 15. The day is also celebrated as 'Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas' since 2021.

Soon after reaching here, Modi wrote on X, "I have reached Ranchi after memorable rallies and road shows in Madhya Pradesh. Tomorrow, 15th November, is a very special day. I will have the privilege of joining the people of Jharkhand in the Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas celebrated on the birth anniversary of Lord Birsa Munda Ji. I feel very proud to have got the opportunity to visit his birthplace Ulihatu."

"During this visit, while I will flag off the Vikasit Bharat Sankalp Yatra in Khunti, I will also inaugurate a historic scheme of Rs 24,000 crore for the welfare of the tribal community. Tomorrow is also the foundation day of Jharkhand. On this occasion, I extend my heartiest greetings to all my family members here," he added.

The PM was welcomed by Governor CP Radhakrishnan and Chief Minister Hemant Soren at the airport.

"Hearty greetings and welcome to the Hon'ble Prime Minister of the country, Narendra Modi Ji on the revered land of brave men like Birsa Munda, Sidho Kanho, Phulo Jhano, Poto Ho and Nilamber Pitamber," Soren wrote on X.

Radhakrishnan said, "Delighted to welcome our most Respected Hon'ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji to the great land of Jharkhand." Hours before the PM landed, people lined up on both sides of the 10-km stretch to welcome Modi. BJP workers welcomed him at a number of spots including Hinoo Chowk and Argora while playing traditional drums and songs.

At many places crowds were seen chanting 'Modi-Modi'.

A large number of people including women descended at different squares and thoroughfares of the city to have a glimpse of the Prime Minister.

Sabita Agarwal, who was waiting for the PM at Harmu Chowk, said, "The Prime Minister is coming to Jharkhand after four years. He will certainly offer many things for development of the state." A college girl said it is a proud moment for all the people of Jharkhand that Prime Minister is coming to the tribal state on occasion of birth anniversary of Birsa Munda.

In view of the roadshow, traffic restrictions were imposed along the stretch from the airport to Raj Bhavan from 8pm to 10.30pm.

The entire route from the airport to Raj Bhavan and from Governor's House to Birsa Munda Old Jail have been declared as no fly zone for drones from 6pm on Tuesday to 11pm on Wednesday, district administration officials said.

Ranchi district administration has imposed Section 144 of CrPC from 6pm on November 14 to 11am in Ranchi Municipal Corporation area on November 15 prohibiting any rally or demonstration without prior permission in view of the proposed stir of State Level Panchayat Swayam Sevak Sangh (SLPSSS), which planned to gherao the CM's residence.

After night halt at Raj Bhavan, the PM will visit Bhagwan Birsa Munda Memorial Park-cum-Freedom Fighter Museum in Ranchi on Wednesday morning and then take a chopper to Birsa Munda's birthplace Ulihatu village in Khunti district, where he will pay floral tributes to the freedom fighter.

Modi will be the first PM to visit Ulihatu and participate in a programme marking the third 'Janjatiya Gaurav Divas' in Khunti.

During the day, he will launch a Rs 24,000-crore project aimed at the development of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).

Modi will also launch the 'Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra', release the 15th instalment of Rs 18,000 crore under the PM-KISAN scheme, and inaugurate and lay the foundation of projects worth Rs 7,200 crore in the state.

The prime minister will flag off IEC (Information, Education and Communication) vans in Khunti, marking the launch of 'Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra'.

The yatra will start from districts with significant tribal population and by January 25 next year, it will cover all districts of the country.

The yatra to reach out to people, who are beneficiaries of the Centre's flagship programmes both in rural and urban areas, will culminate on January 25, a central government official who came here to oversee preparations for Modi’s visit told PTI.

"We are going to visit 2.7 lakh gram panchayats of the country and about 15,000 urban locations where the ground-level activities will take place by these automated IEC vans which have been designed to talk to people, inform them about the flagship programmes and what has been accomplished so far," the official said.

During the function, Modi will also launch the Rs 24,000-crore 'Pradhan Mantri Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PM PVTG) Mission', under which basic facilities such as road and telecom connectivity, electricity, safe housing, clean drinking water and sanitation, improved access to education, health and nutrition and sustainable livelihood opportunities will be provided to PVTG habitations, which are mostly remote, scattered and inaccessible, it said.

There are around 28 lakh PVTGs belonging to 75 tribes living in 22,544 villages in 220 districts across 18 states and Union territories.

He will also release the 15th instalment of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) through direct benefit transfer to more than eight crore beneficiaries.

Under the scheme, till now, more than Rs 2.62 lakh crore has been transferred to farmers' accounts in 14 instalments.

The prime minister will inaugurate and lay foundation stones of projects worth around Rs 7,200 crore in sectors such as rail, road, education, coal, petroleum and natural gas, a statement said.

The projects that will be inaugurated include the new campus of IIM Ranchi, new hostel of IIT-ISM Dhanbad, Petroleum Oil and Lubricants (POL) depot in Bokaro, doubling of railway tracks in the Hatia-Pakra, Talgaria-Bokaro and Jarangdih-Patratu sections.

The projects for which foundations will be laid include the four-laning of 52-km stretch of Mahagama-Hansdiha section of NH-133, four-laning of 45-km stretch of Basukinath-Deoghar section of NH-114 A, KDH-Purnadih Coal Handling Plant and a new academic and administrative building of IIIT Ranchi.

After the function, he will fly back to Ranchi, from where he will leave for Delhi on Wednesday afternoon.