Last Updated:
Ramakrishna Dalmia created one of India’s largest industrial groups by setting up sugar, cement, paper and chemical factories in Dehri, Rohtas in the 1930s. Financial scandals, labor agitation and administrative failures led to the industry’s bankruptcy in 1984 and today the factories are abandoned.
Ramakrishna Dalmiya’s life was full of amazing story of struggle and destiny. After the death of his father at a young age, the responsibility of the family fell on his shoulders. He came to Calcutta where he started working in silver business with his uncle Motilal Jhunjhunwala. Handling small deals and bookkeeping became his early experiences.
It is said that when success seems far away, a person believes in luck. Dalmia showed the lines of his palm to Pandit Motilal Biyala. The Pandit said, ‘In the next one and a half month the lock of your luck will open and you will earn one lakh rupees.’ Coincidentally, he made a profit of Rs 1.5 lakh in the silver deal, which was equivalent to about Rs 2.5 crore today. This success took him on the path of big business.
In 1932, Dalmia established South Bihar Sugar Mills Limited in Bihta, Patna. Soon his eyes fell on the villages situated on the banks of Son river in Rohtas district. Here he formed Rohtas Industries Limited and apart from sugar mill, established factories of cement, paper, chemical, soap and Dalda. This industrial town spread over 3800 acres made its mark on the industrial map of the country.
Add StuffUnknownas
Preferred Source on Google
In 1938, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose inaugurated the cement factory and in 1939, Dr. Rajendra Prasad inaugurated the paper factory. School, college, railway, power house and private airport were also established in Dalmianagar. This industrial township has remained a symbol of prosperity and innovation for five decades.
Ramakrishna Dalmia married six times in his life and one of his daughters, Rama, was married to Sahu Shanti Prasad Jain, founder of the Dalmia-Jain group. After the involvement of Jain and his family, the name of the group was changed to Dalmia-Jain Group. The group expanded to cement, paper, insurance, cold storage, automobiles and asbestos. He also opened Bharat Bank Limited which had 292 branches across the country.
In the 1960s, the Dalmia-Jain group was accused of financial irregularities. The then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru formed an inquiry committee under the chairmanship of Supreme Court Judge Vivian Bose. MP Firoz Gandhi also exposed the allegations. The labor movement and caste violence in Bihar further worsened the condition of the industry. On July 5, 1984, Rohtas Industries was declared bankrupt and closed down.
It is said that one day when Dalmiya’s driver told him about his problem, Dalmiya immediately got an eight-room house built. This is just a glimpse of that grandeur which today is reminded of by empty factories and deserted streets.
