If govt had passengers of this route in mind, a VB wouldn't have been run at al. Not all routes need an AC connection. This is running through rural Jharkhand. They could have just given a 22 coach ICE with multiple AC coaches instead. It's not like the VB is doing 160 kph here. None of the towns mentioned except for TATA [intermediate stations I mean] figure even in top 10 largest cities of Jharkhand. What this route needed foremost was an overnight M/E train, then a daily ICE and if demand was there, then a VB.
Govt....
more... sidestepped the more favored options to push for an inferior service [Yes, VB might be technically superior but what's the point of that if the carrying capacity is less than half of a conventional train].