Pandabeswar (community development block)

History

During World War II there was an American airbase at Pandabeswar.

Geography

Pandabeswar is located at 23°43′N 87°17′E.

Pandabeswar CD Block is part of the Ajay Damodar Barakar tract. This area is sort of an extension of the Chota Nagpur Plateau. It is a rocky undulating area with laterite soil, with the Ajay on the north, the Damodar on the south and the Barakar on the west. For ages the area was heavily forested and infested with plunderers and marauders. The discovery of coal, in the eighteenth century, led to industrialisation of the area and most of the forests have been cleared.

Pandabeswar CD Block is bounded by Dubrajpur CD Block, in Birbhum district, on the north, Faridpur Durgapur CD Block on the east, Andal CD Block on the south and Jamuria CD Block on the west.

It is located 92 km from Bardhaman, the district headquarters.

Pandabeswar CD Block has an area of 97.80 km². It has 1 panchayat samity, 6 gram panchayats, 112 gram sansads (village councils), 17 mouzas and 14 inhabited villages. Pandabeswar and Andal police stations serve this block.Headquarters of this CD Block is at Pandabeswar.

Gram panchayats of Pandabeswar block/panchayat samiti are: Bahula, Baidyanathpur, Chhora, Haripur, Kendra and Nabagram.

Population

As per the 2011 Census of India Pandabeswar CD Block had a total population of 161,891, of which 26,720 were rural and 135,171 were urban. There were 84,651 (52%) males and 77,240 (48%) females. Population below 6 years was 19,709. Scheduled Castes numbered 49,189 (30.38%) and Scheduled Tribes numbered 10,821 (6.68%).

As per 2001 census, Pandabeswar block had a total population of 146,445, out of which 79,992 were males and 66,453 were females. Pandabeswar block registered a population growth of 9.37 per cent during the 1991-2001 decade. Decadal growth for Bardhaman district was 14.36 per cent.Decadal growth in West Bengal was 17.84 per cent.Scheduled castes at 55,511 formed around one-third the population. Scheduled tribes numbered 14,508.

Census Towns in Pandabeswar CD Block are (2011 census figures in brackets): Chak Bankola (part) (11,527), Parashkol (part) (10,367), Kendra Khottamdi (part) (6,875), Bilpahari (8,565), Ramnagar (5,446), Dalurband (15,107), Baidyanathpur (15,704), Mahal (4,841), Konardihi (8,488), Nabgram (4,626), Sankarpur (6,399), Haripur (5,910), Chhora (13,806) and Bahula (17,510). Chak Bankola and Parashkol are partly in Andal CD Block and partly in Pandabeswar CD Block. Kendra Khottamdi is partly in Jamuria CD Block and partly in Pandabeswar CD Block.

Villages in Pandabeswar CD Block are (2011census figures in brackets): Banbahal (3,540), Gobindapur (1,898), Konda (916), Deshlopa (1,178), Danya (3,854), Chak Karala (1,331), Joalbhanga (2,070), Bhatmura (594), Chak Jharia (1,497), Shyamsundarpur (2,801), Bhaluka (681), Sonpur (2,358), Bajari (1,583) and Kumarkhala (2,419).(All villages included in 2011 census data are mentioned here. Other villages or localities, if any, are parts of these villages.)

Literacy

As per the 2011 census the total number of literates in Pandabeswar CD Block was 103,801 (73.01% of the population over 6 years) out of which males numbered 61,005 (81.82% of the male population over 6 years) and females numbered 42,796 (63.28% of the female population over 6 years). The gender disparity (the difference between female and male literacy rates) was 18.54%.

As per 2001 census, Pandabeswar block had a total literacy of 63.73 per cent for the 6+ age group. While male literacy was 73.56 per cent female literacy was 51.65 per cent. Bardhaman district had a total literacy of 70.18 per cent, male literacy being 78.63 per cent and female literacy being 60.95 per cent.

See also – List of West Bengal districts ranked by literacy rate

Languages and religion

Bengali is the local language in these areas.

In 2001 Bengali was the mother-tongue of 79.9% of the population of Bardhaman district, Hindi was the mother-tongue of 10.9%, Santali 4.9%, Urdu 2.8%, Bhojpuri 0.1% and Oraon 0.1%. There were other languages spoken by small percentages. The percentage of population which reported Bengali as mother-tongue has declined from 82.3% in 1961 to 79.9% in 2001, the percentage of population which reported Hindi as mother-tongue increased from 8.5% in 1961 to 10.9% in 2001. However, as of 2017, CD Block-wise/ other region-wise break-up of mother tongue is not available in census/ other official sources.

There have been reports in the media about the Hindi speaking population being substantial in the Asansol (Lok Sabha constituency). Bardhaman district provided attractive livelihood opportunities for immigrants from Bihar/ Jharkhand.

In the 2011 census Hindus numbered 139,805 and formed 86.36% of the population in Pandabeswar CD Block. Muslims numbered 20,377 and formed 12.59% of the population. Christians numbered 232 and formed 0.14% of the population. Others numbered 1,477 and formed 0.91% of the population.

Rural poverty

As per poverty estimates obtained from household survey for families living below poverty line in 2005, rural poverty in Pandabeswar CD Block was 20.59%.

Livelihood

In Pandabeswar CD Block in 2011, amongst the class of total workers, cultivators formed 2.81%, agricultural labourers 7.52%, household industry workers 3.31% and other workers 86.36%.

In Pandabeswar CD Block a large percentage of the total workers were engaged as ‘other workers’ and only a small percentage as cultivators or agricultural labourers. This is because it is a colliery based industrial area, where a majority of the people are engaged in the secondary or tertiary sectors.

Infrastructure

All 17 or 100% of mouzas in Pandabeswar CD Block were electrified by 31 March 2014.

All 17 mouzas in Pandabeswar CD Block had drinking water facilities in 2013-14. There were 61 fair price shops in the CD Block.

Coal mining

Sonpur Bazari Open Cast Project of Eastern Coalfields was approved in 1995. The targeted output in 2016-17 was 8 million tonnes. Mineable reserve as on 1/4/2015 was 179.60 million tonnes. Balance life of the project as on 1/4/2012 was 23 years.

Madhaipur open cast project in Pandabeshwar Area of Eastern Coalfields has a mineable reserve of 13.15 million tonnes.

Amongst the mines of Eastern Coalfields selected for introduction of mass production technology with the intallation of the continuous miner are: Kumardihi (1.02 million tonnes per year) and Khottamdi (1.0 mty).

Agriculture

Although the Bargadari Act of 1950 recognised the rights of bargadars to a higher share of crops from the land that they tilled, it was not implemented fully. Large tracts, beyond the prescribed limit of land ceiling, remained with the rich landlords. From 1977 onwards major land reforms took place in West Bengal. Land in excess of land ceiling was acquired and distributed amongst the peasants.Following land reforms land ownership pattern has undergone transformation. In 2013-14, persons engaged in agriculture in Pandabeswar CD Block could be classified as follows: bargadars 3.65%, patta (document) holders 24.82%, small farmers (possessing land between 1 and 2 hectares) 5.72%, marginal farmers (possessing land up to 1 hectare) 37.32% and agricultural labourers 28.49%.

In 2003-04 net cropped area in Pandabeswar CD Block was 3,156 hectares.

In 2013-14, Pandabeswar CD Block produced 6,253 tonnes of Aman paddy, the main winter crop, from 2,005 hectares and 28 tonnes of wheat from 10 hectares. It also produced pulses and oilseeds.

Banking

In 2013-14, Pandabeswar CD Block had offices of 9 commercial banks.

Transport

Pandabeswar CD Block has 3 originating/ terminating bus routes.

The Andal-Sainthia branch line passes through this CD Block and there is a station at Pandabeswar.

NH 14 (old number NH 60) pass through this CD Block.

Education

In 2013-14, Pandabeswar CD Block had 44 primary schools with 6,666 students, 7 middle schools with 737 students, 2 high school with 812 students and 5 higher secondary schools with 9,009 students. Pandabeswar CD Block had 1 general college with 1,007 students, 257 institutions for special and non-formal education with 9,690 students

Pandaveswar College was established at Pandabeswar in 2005. It is affliated with Kazi Nazrul University.

Healthcare

In 2014, Pandabeswar CD Block had 1 primary health centre and 1 private nursing home with total 6 beds and 1 doctor (excluding private bodies). 6 patients were treated indoor and 141,410 patients were treated outdoor in the hospitals, health centres and subcentres of the CD Block.

Pandabeswar CD Block has a primary health centre at Pandabeswar.