At Jamnagar, staff tribute is business as usual

At the Reliance Petroleum township, which is normally abuzz with activity, all roads led to the Radha-Krishna temple, where a prayer meeting was held. ‘‘I feel that I have lost my own father today. Dhirubhai was not the chairman of the group but my father. He took interest not only in office matters, but also in the welfare of family members…He always took care of his employees and their family. That’s why we feel the loss even more,’’ said a tearful Jayshree Bhandari, a resident of the township which is about 30 km from Jamnagar.

‘‘In the last four years, Dhirubhai was a frequent visitor to the township and would meet our families in the evening. So the loss is not only that of the Ambani family, it is also that of the families living in the township,’’ added Sobha Raju, another employee.

At the refinery too, the mood was gloomy and sombre. ‘‘It was in April when he last came to take stock of the performance of the employees and also give them targets personally,’’ said Kirit Brahmbhatt, chief of power utility at the refinery. ‘‘Not just department heads, Dhirubhai would make it a point to talk to even the peons. Even the smallest employee felt free to express his or her problem before Dhirubhai and he would take personal care to solve it,’’ added S.V.K. Raju, chief of construction and engineering.

Parimal Nathwani, an executive of Reliance Petroleum Limited, said: ‘‘Dhirubhai was a tree and the rest are branches. I am sure that his sons Mukesh and Anil will take care of the group and see to it that the group scales new heights, as per their father’s dreams.’’