Prime Minister Narendra Modi today dedicated NTPC's thermal power station at Mouda near Nagpur to the nation.

Speaking on the occasion, he said that for any nation to develop, the focus has to be on infrastructure.

The Prime Minister said that even in rural areas, if we have to bring a qualitative change in the lives of people, we have to start with electricity.

Mr. Modi said that the effort is to ensure that in the coming years, the villages and poor of India have access to electricity round-the-clock.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister dedicated to the nation the Ranchi-Dharamjaygarh-Sipat 765 KV inter-regional power transmission line in Jharkhand.

This line is the first inter-regional link between the eastern and western region.

Addressing the gathering after dedicating the transmission line at Ranchi, Mr. Narendra Modi said, the Centre and the state government have to work together for the development of the state.

Mr Modi said, several developmental initiatives will be taken to take Jharkhand towards progress.

Calling for balanced development, the Prime Minister said there is need to ensure development of every state of the country if we have to take India ahead.

Mr Modi also called for increasing the avenues of development in the east.

Saying that Jharkhand has the capabilities to become one among India's most developed States, Mr Modi said, former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee created the state with a dream that this land with rich natural resources will benefit the nation too.

Noting the immense talent of the youth, Mr Modi said, electronics manufacturing can be encouraged in Jharkhand to give more employment opportunities to the youth.

AIR correspondent adds that the Central transmission utility, the Power Grid Corporation has implemented the Ranchi Dharamjaygarh-Sipat inter-regional transmission line at a total cost of Rs. 1,600 crore.

The benefits of the project include augmentation of inter-regional capacity of the eastern region with western region, thereby facilitating exchange of surplus power between the two regions.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Hemant Soren appealed to the Prime Minister to care for poor tribals of Jharkhand.