Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday virtually launched various projects worth Rs 660 crore from Ranchi in Jharkhand.

These include laying the foundation stone for the Madhupur bypass line in Deoghar district and the Hazaribag town coaching depot. “The depot will help start several new trains and services,” Modi said.

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.

The project will help in increased mobility of goods and passenger traffic. Besides, the PM also launched four road-under-bridges (RUBs).

“The work of laying railway lines, doubling of these and developing modern facilities at railway stations are underway at a fast pace in Jharkhand,” Modi said.

The Prime Minister also virtually distributed sanction letters to 32,000 beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) and released first instalment of  Rs 32 crore for the construction of houses.

PM Moid also virtually handed over keys to 46,000 beneficiaries of PMAY-G across the country. The Centre has approved 1,13,400 houses for the poor in Jharkhand under the PMAY-G scheme, PTI reported.

Addressing a gathering virtually, Modi congratulated the people of Jharkhand for these projects.

PM Modi said: “There was a time when modern 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. Women, farmers and youth are a priority”

He said that the whole region will develop with the expansion of rail services in Eastern India.

“The budget for railway development for Jharkhand is Rs. 7000 crores. If we compare this to the budget 10 years ago, it is 16 times more,” PM Modi said.

The Prime Minister is on a three-day visit to Jharkhand, Gujarat and Odisha beginning Sunday during which he is scheduled to lay the foundation stones and launch projects worth more than Rs 12,460 crore.

In a shocking announcement, Arvind Kejriwal said on Sunday that he will step down as Delhi Chief Minister in the next two or three days, days after walking out of Tihar Jail in an alleged money laundering case linked to the liquor policy scam.

“I am going to resign from the CM position after two days,” the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor said while addressing the party workers in Delhi.  

Kejriwal added that he will not sit on the CM chair until the people give their verdict, and he will go to every house and street and not sit on the CM chair till he gets a verdict from the people. The Assembly election to Delhi is due early next year.

Attacking the BJP government, Kejriwal said, “They sent me to jail because their goal was to break the AAP and the courage of Kejriwal. They thought they would break our party and form a government in Delhi after jailing me. But our party did not break.”

“I did not resign from the jail because I wanted to protect the Constitution of India. I wanted to fail their formula. The Supreme Court asked the central government why a government cannot run from jail. The SC proved that a government can run from jail,” he added.

While addressing the gathering, Kejriwal appealed to the people of Delhi to cast their vote in his favour if they feel that Kejriwal is an honest leader in the coming Assembly elections.

“If you think I am honest, vote for me in large numbers. I will sit on the CM’s chair only after being elected,” he said. The elections are supposed to be held in February, he added.

Kejriwal demanded elections be held in November with Maharashtra elections. Till elections are held, someone else from the party will be the Chief Minister, the AAP chief said.

In the next 2-3 days, a meeting of the MLAs will be held, where the next CM will be decided, Kejriwal asserted.

Senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia, addressing the workers and MLAs at the party office in Delhi before Kejriwal’s resignation announcement, said the BJP drafted a fantasy story named the ‘Liquor Scam’. The Supreme Court gave bail to Arvind Kejriwal and ended that story, he added.

“It is a happy ending for us and a sad ending for the BJP. They thought they would keep Arvind Kejriwal jailed till the Delhi elections but their stories were proven to be wrong in the court, and today Arvind Kejriwal and I are out of jail,” Sisodia said.

AAP MP Raghav Chadha said Kejriwal had asked for votes in the name of work in 2020 and said that if “I have worked then vote for me, if I have not worked then do not vote for me.”

The people of Delhi will declare the Chief Minister honest by voting for AAP and in the upcoming 2025 Delhi elections, the people of Delhi will declare their Chief Minister honest through that election, Chadha added.

The death toll in the collapse of a three-storey house in Zakir Nagar here has risen to 10 while the rescue work at the site is still underway, the district administration said on Sunday.

The administration stated that one person is feared to be still trapped under the debris.

Those who have been identified as deceased include: Sajid (40), Saniya (15), Saqib (11), Simra (one-and-half years), Reeza (7), Naffo (63), Farhana (20), Alisa (18), Aliya (6), and Rimsa (5 months). The administration stated that Sofiyan (6) is in stable condition.

Among the injured, Naeem (22), Nadeem (26), Saqib (20), and Saina (38) are receiving treatment at the Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial Medical College.

The collapse of a three-storey house on Saturday afternoon trapped 15 people under the debris.

Meerut District Magistrate Deepak Meena told reporters, “When the rescue operation started, the relatives gave information about 15 persons. Three managed to escape when the building was collapsing.”

Meena added, “The death toll currently stands at 10, while five persons are alive. The rescue operations will continue until all the debris is removed.” He mentioned, “The bodies have been kept at the medical college for a post-mortem examination.”

Senior officials, including Meerut Zone Additional Director General of Police D K Thakur, Divisional Commissioner Selva Kumari J, Inspector General of Police Nachiketa Jha, and Senior Superintendent of Police Vipin Tada, arrived at the scene to monitor the rescue operation.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), fire brigade, and police teams are all involved in the rescue operation.