BOKARO, Jharkhand

Main Attraction: BOKARO STEEL PLANT

Started in the year 1965 Bokaro Steel Plant is one of the largest steel producing unit in the country under public undertaking. The plant situated in Bokaro Steel City provides ample opportunity to a large number of small scale industries in the district of Bokaro.

Brief History

The early history of the greater part of the area is difficult to trace, as the present district of Bokaro forms only a small and insignificant part of Manbhum. In the Settlement Report of Manbhum, It has been stated that no rock inscription, no copper plates or old coins were discovered in course of the survey and settlement operations. The oldest authentic documents produced were all on paper and they are barely a hundred years old.

The area now forming part of Bokaro district was inhabited primarily by the people of Kolar race.

The earliest civilization in the area was that of Jains in around 600 B.C. The Jain domination was superseded by Brahamins around 7th century A.D. as is evident from the travel account of Hiuen Tsang which makes a mention of powerful kingdom ruled by Sasanka who was a persecutor of Buddhists. The Brahamical civilization was at its prime in the 10th century A.D. and was destroyed completely thereafter by the Bhumij and Mundari tribe.

During Akbar’s time, Raja Man Singh led his troops from Bhagalpur to Midnapur through Jharkhand area and he might have passed through the areas covered by Bokaro district.

British Period

The old district of Manbhum (consisting of the present Bokaro district) was acquired by the British in 1765. During the British period a series of military operation brought the petty zamindars under control. The permanent settlement was effected in this area in 1796. In 1805 a new district named Jungle Mahal was constituted into a separate magisterial charge with headquarters at Bankura. In 1833 the district of Jungle Mahal was broken up and a new district called Manbhum was constituted, later on in 1838 Purulia was fixed as the headquarter of Manbhum district.

In fact, Bokaro, the industrial area of prominence gained importance and won the famous place in the map of India with decision of Govt. of India in the early 1960’s to establish modern public Sector Steel Plant with the collaboration of the Soviet Russia. It was in 1966 that Smt. Indira Gandhi, the late Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of what today is famous as Bokaro Steel Plant. Again in early 1990’s a new horizon had opened with the identification of enormous source of Methane gas in the Chandankiyari area by the ONGC. It is reported that the ONGC is planning to establish an enormous Gas Plant in the region, which will be greater in size and importance than the present Bokaro Steel Plant.