Dhanbad: As senior district administrative officials are busy making preparations for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit on May 25 to lay the foundation of the Rs 6,500-crore Hindustan Urvarak and Rasayan plant at Sindri, the old-timers reminisce about the heydays of the township when its colonies, markets, clubs and parks were abuzz with activity.
Recalling the golden days of the now defunct unit of Fertilizer Corporation India (FCI) in the 1970's, general manager in-charge D.D. Adhikari said, "More than 5,000-7,000 employees used to head towards the factory on bicycles during the change of shift. The roads were cleaned twice daily and water was supplied to households five times a day."
Adhikari is now supervising the cutting of scrap metals and their transportation at the old factory.
He said the clubs of Sindri, including officer's club (meant for FCI's seniors officials) and Kalyan Kendra (for workers), used to conduct various sports activities. Many state-level football and hockey players have groomed themselves in these clubs. "The picturesque Saharpura and Priyadarshini lakes used to attract visitors from adjoining areas of Bengal who used to arrange picnics," Adhikari said.
President of Sindri Chamber of Commerce and Industry Dipak Kumar Dipu said the monthly turnover of the Saharpura market comprising around 250 shops stood at Rs 4-5 crore during the peak days of the Sindri factory.
"However, the turnover dropped to around Rs 1 crore after 1992 when the factory was declared sick and referred to the Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction (BIFR). The closure of the factory in 2002 sounded the death knell for the market," Dipu added.
He said the traders of Sindri expect good days to return following the foundation stone laying of the new factory.
"Currently, the shopkeepers are dependent on the retired employees of FCI who somehow make do with their provident fund," said Deepu.
An old-timer said Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had described the factory as the temple of modern India while inaugurating it. Almost every foreign dignitary visiting India during 1950-1960 was brought to Sindri.
Chief minister Raghubar Das also spoken glowingly of the fertiliser unit in Ranchi on Tuesday.
"The then Union industry minister and Jan Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee stood next to Nehru during the inauguration of the Sindri plant. While campaigning during 2014 elections, we had promised that this plant would be revived soon. We have kept our word," he said.
Established in 1952, the Sindri fertiliser factory was the first public sector undertaking that employed over 12,000 during its heydays. The unit began to suffer losses due to the lack of periodic modernisation and rising fuel cost. After remaining in profit till 1968-69, it was declared sick by BIFR in 1992 and was closed in 2002.
