Recent from talks
Nothing was collected or created yet.
Bellampalle
View on Wikipedia
Bellampalli is a town in Mancherial district of the Indian state of Telangana. It is a municipality and mandal headquarters of Bellampalli mandal of Bellampalli revenue division.[2]
Key Information
Spellings
[edit]Alternative spellings are Bellampalle and Bellampally.
History
[edit]Bellampalli is noted for its coal mines belonging to Singareni Collieries Company Limited. Bellampalli has the most coal mines and opencast mines in the state of Telangana. The first coal mine was established in 1936 by the British government. Later, the town developed very rapidly with the discovery and excavation of many more coal mines. The coal production from the SCCL is catering to the needs of the National Thermal Power Corporation, Ramagundam and many surrounding industrial buildings such as cement plants in Devapur, steel factory in Visakhapatnam and power plants in Maharashtra[3]
Demographics
[edit]| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1941 | 6,294 | — |
| 1951 | 15,874 | +152.2% |
| 1961 | 29,101 | +83.3% |
| 1971 | 30,290 | +4.1% |
| 1981 | 44,721 | +47.6% |
| 1991 | 66,780 | +49.3% |
| 2001 | 66,792 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 55,841 | −16.4% |
| Source: [4][5] | ||
According to the 2001 India census,[6] Bellampalli had a population of 66,660. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Bellampalli has a literacy rate of 66%, higher than the national average of 60%, with 57% of the males and 43% of females literate. 11% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Government and politics
[edit]Civic administration
[edit]Bellampalle Municipality was constituted in 1987 and is classified as a second grade municipality with 32 election wards. The jurisdiction of the civic body is spread over an area of 35.06 km2 (13.54 sq mi).[1]
Politics
[edit]Bellampalli has been a traditional stronghold and birthplace of the CPI, also known as the Communist Party of India. CPI leader Gunda Mallesh won the MLA seat for Bellampally in the 2009 elections. Gunda Mallesh is a senior politician from Bellampally and the CPI. The former MLA's of this of constituency are Amurajula Sreedevi and Pati Subadra. Bellampalli assembly constituency comes under Peddapalli Lok Sabha constituency. Gaddam Vamshi krishna is present MP.
- MLA's of Bellampalli
- Sridevi (TDP)-2004
- Gunda Mallesh (CPI) -2009
- Durgam Chinnaiah (TRS) -2014
- Durgam Chinnaiah (TRS) -2018
- Gaddam Vinod (Congress) - 2023
Administravtive Division
[edit]There are 13 Villages under Bellampalli.[7]
| Sl.No. | Name of the Mandal | Villages in the Mandal | Name of the Erstwhile Mandals from which the present Mandal is formed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bellampalli | Bellampalle | Bellampalli |
| 2 | Ankusam | ||
| 3 | Kannal (R) | ||
| 4 | Chakepalle | ||
| 5 | Budha Khurd (R) | ||
| 6 | Budha Kalan (R) | ||
| 7 | Chandravelli | ||
| 8 | Rangapet | ||
| 9 | Dugnepalle | ||
| 10 | Gurjal (R) @ Talla Gurjal | ||
| 11 | Akenipalle | ||
| 12 | Batwanpalle | ||
| 13 | Perkapalle |
Economy
[edit]Coal production has been very important to the economic history of Bellampalli and it is thus known as an industrial town.[citation needed] However, the average income of Rs. 5000/- per capita according to 1989 figures mean that the average person is living in poverty.[8]
Transport
[edit]Bellampalli is well connected by road and train.
NH 363 A new National Highway is being constructed from Mancherial to chandrapur passes through Bellampalli
Bellampally railway station is one of the most oldest railway stations in Telangana region and it lies in Nagpur–Hyderabad line.
Bellampalli comes under south central railway and its 273 km distance towards North (Delhi route) from Hyderabad (Capital of the state)
Railway code: BPA

References
[edit]- ^ a b "Urban Local Body Information" (PDF). Directorate of Town and Country Planning. Government of Telangana. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 June 2016. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
- ^ a b "District Census Handbook – Adilabad" (PDF). Census of India. The Registrar General & Census Commissioner. pp. 13, 214. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
- ^ TelanganaPradesh (India). Bureau of Economics and Statistics (1987). Statistical abstract of Andhra Pradesh. Bureau of Economics and Statistics. Retrieved 22 March 2012.
- ^ "Page Redirection". data.gov.in. 21 January 2022.
- ^ "Census tables | Government of India". censusindia.gov.in. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- ^ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 16 June 2004. Retrieved 1 November 2008.
- ^ "Schedule - II Reorganization Of Mandals In Mancherial District". www.districtsinfo.com. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
- ^ Rao, Vidyananda Mohan; Aziz, Abdul; Rao, Vijendra Kasturi Ranga Varadaraja (1989). Poverty alleviation in India: programmes and action. Ashish Pub. House. pp. 42–3. ISBN 978-81-7024-255-0. Retrieved 22 March 2012.
Bellampalle
View on GrokipediaGeography
Location and Topography
Bellampalli is a town in Mancherial district, northern Telangana, India, situated at coordinates 19°04′N 79°29′E. It lies approximately 250 kilometers northeast of Hyderabad, the state capital, within the broader Pranhita-Godavari Valley region. The area forms part of the Godavari River basin, influenced by the Pranhita tributary's drainage, though the town itself is not directly adjacent to major river courses.[5][6][7] The local topography consists of undulating plains interspersed with low hills and gentle slopes, with an average elevation of about 266 meters above mean sea level. This terrain, characterized by flat to undulatory surfaces, transitions into surrounding forested expanses, including the Bellampally Reserved Forest. Such moderate relief patterns shape the spatial distribution of settlements, favoring elevated plateaus and valley floors for habitation amid the Deccan Plateau's northern extensions.[8][9][10] Geologically, the region belongs to the Bellampalli coal belt in the Godavari Valley Coalfield, featuring Permian Gondwana supergroup sediments deposited in an intracratonic rift basin. These include coal-rich Barakar Formation layers overlain by younger deposits, with the basin's NW-SE trending structure reflecting tectonic subsidence and fluvial-deltaic environments. The underlying Archean basement influences heat flow variations, measured at around 1.06 heat flow units in borehole studies near Bellampalli.[11][12][13]Climate and Environment
Bellampalli exhibits a hot semi-arid climate typical of interior Telangana, with extreme summer heat and a distinct monsoon-driven wet period. Average high temperatures peak at 43°C in May, accompanied by lows of 29°C, while the coolest month, December, sees highs of 31°C and lows of 14°C.[14] The dry season dominates from late September to early June, featuring mostly clear skies and minimal precipitation, whereas the wet season spans June to September, with frequent overcast conditions and oppressive humidity.[14] Annual precipitation totals approximately 880 mm, concentrated in the monsoon months, where July records the highest average of 247 mm and up to 17 wet days.[14] This pattern aligns with regional data for Mancherial district, where summer thunderstorms occasionally contribute to pre-monsoon rains, though overall variability reflects the influence of the Godavari river basin's topography.[15] Ecologically, the area supports dry deciduous forests and scrub vegetation adapted to seasonal aridity, with baseline biodiversity including species tolerant of the Godavari valley's semi-arid conditions. Coal mining, prevalent in the Singareni coalfields, has diverted significant forest land, including 178.243 ha in Bellampalli reserve forests for underground operations at depths of 300–670 meters.[10] Such activities contribute to localized land degradation, though surface impacts from deep mining remain limited per project assessments.[10] Geological features of the Permian coal-bearing strata heighten subsidence risks in mined zones, with models predicting peak vertical subsidence of up to 2 meters and tensile strains reaching 18.8 mm/m in affected panels.[16] Monsoon intensification can lead to flash flooding in low-lying areas, tied to the basin's drainage patterns, though incidence data specific to Bellampalli is monitored via regional groundwater networks rather than standalone records.[17]History
Origins and Early Settlement
The region surrounding Bellampalli, located in the forested highlands of northern Telangana, has been inhabited by indigenous tribal groups, particularly the Gonds, since at least the pre-colonial era, with evidence of small-scale agrarian and foraging communities predating organized state influences.[18] These Gonds, a Dravidian ethnic group, maintained polities characterized by clan-based villages, shifting cultivation of millets like jowar, and supplemental hunting and gathering in the Deccan plateau's wooded terrain, reflecting adaptations to the area's seasonal monsoons and lateritic soils.[19] Historical documentation remains sparse, as Adilabad district—encompassing pre-reorganization Bellampalli—yields relatively meager archaeological evidence for ancient periods compared to neighboring regions, limiting precise dating of initial settlements to broad tribal occupancy patterns rather than site-specific findings.[20] Early Gond settlements in nearby mandals such as Mancherial and Vemanapalli, adjacent to Bellampalli, indicate clustered villages governed by local headmen (peddamnas), where land use was communal and tied to forest resources, transitioning gradually from nomadic foraging to semi-permanent cultivation by the medieval period.[20] While broader Telangana experienced overlordship from dynasties like the Satavahanas (c. 230 BCE–220 CE) and Kakatiyas (1163–1323 CE), the peripheral, tribal-dominated highlands around Bellampalli likely remained semi-autonomous, with minimal direct administrative integration due to the terrain's isolation and the Gonds' resistance to external feudal structures.[21] Archival references to Gond-Kolam tribal clusters in the area affirm these communities' self-sufficiency through podu (slash-and-burn) farming and cattle rearing, forming the basis for later village consolidation before 19th-century disruptions.[20] No verified inscriptions or megalithic sites have been documented specifically at Bellampalli, underscoring reliance on ethnographic accounts over material artifacts for reconstructing this phase.[20]Colonial Development and Coal Mining
Coal reserves in the Singareni coalfield, which includes the Bellampalle region, were discovered in 1871 by Dr. William King of the Geological Survey of India near Yellandu in Khammam district.[22] Initial mining operations began in 1886 under the Hyderabad Deccan Company Limited, which extracted the first coal seams at Singareni village on a commercial scale.[23] The Singareni Collieries Company Limited was formally incorporated on December 23, 1920, as a public limited company under the Hyderabad Companies Act, assuming control of the mining leases previously held by the Hyderabad Deccan Company.[22] This entity oversaw the expansion of operations into the Bellampalle area of Adilabad district starting in 1928, initiating broader development of underground and surface mining activities in the locality.[23] Infrastructure development accompanied mining growth, including the construction of the Singareni Collieries Light Railway, which utilized narrow-gauge locomotives operational from 1902 to facilitate coal evacuation to markets and ports.[24] Coal production in the Singareni fields reached 0.70 million tonnes annually by 1928, reflecting increased extraction driven by demand for fuel in regional industries and railways.[25] The influx of migrant labor from surrounding regions supported workforce expansion, with workers recruited for pit operations and ancillary roles, leading to the establishment of mining settlements around Bellampalle.[23] In 1945, the Nizam's State of Hyderabad acquired a majority stake in the company, consolidating local control prior to India's independence.[22]Post-Independence Era and State Reorganizations
Following the military operation known as Operation Polo, the princely state of Hyderabad, including the region encompassing Bellampalli, was annexed into the Indian Union on 17 September 1948, ending the Nizam's rule and integrating the territory under Indian administration.[26] In the immediate aftermath, coal mining operations in Bellampalli under the Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) transitioned to state government control by 1949, reflecting broader efforts to align key industries with national priorities post-accession.[23] The States Reorganisation Act of 1956, effective from 1 November 1956, restructured Hyderabad State along linguistic lines, transferring its Telugu-majority districts—including Adilabad district, where Bellampalli was located—to the newly formed Andhra Pradesh.[27] This shift incorporated Bellampalli into Andhra Pradesh, maintaining its administrative placement within Adilabad district while preserving the dominance of SCCL-managed coal mining as the economic mainstay. The subsequent nationalization of private coal mines through the Coal Mines (Nationalisation) Acts of 1971 and 1973 centralized control over non-public operations under entities like Coal India Limited but left SCCL's joint public structure unaffected, ensuring operational continuity in Bellampalli without disruption to local mining frameworks.[28] The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, bifurcated Andhra Pradesh effective 2 June 2014, establishing Telangana as a separate state that retained Bellampalli within its boundaries as part of the Telangana region's historical Telugu-speaking areas.[29] Further administrative refinement occurred in 2016 when Mancherial district was carved out of Adilabad district via government order, incorporating Bellampalli as a key mandal and revenue division headquarters within the new district's 18 mandals and three revenue divisions, aimed at enhancing local governance efficiency.[30] These changes post-2014 emphasized decentralized administration while sustaining SCCL's role in regional development.Demographics
As of the 2011 Indian census, Bellampalli municipality recorded a total population of 55,841, comprising 28,024 males and 27,817 females, marking a decline from the 66,792 residents enumerated in the 2001 census and reflecting an annual growth rate of -1.8% over the decade.[31][32] The sex ratio stood at 993 females per 1,000 males, higher than the state average for Telangana.[2] The literacy rate in Bellampalli was 77.05% in 2011, with male literacy exceeding female rates, consistent with broader patterns in urban Telangana municipalities.[2] As a fully urban municipal area, the population lacks a rural component within its boundaries, though the surrounding Bellampalle mandal includes rural villages contributing to regional demographics.[33] Linguistically, Telugu is the dominant language spoken by the majority of residents, aligning with the 88% Telugu-speaking proportion in Mancherial district. The population features a significant Scheduled Caste component, estimated at 27-31% based on urban and constituency data, alongside a smaller Scheduled Tribe presence of 1-9%, with historical migration from labor-intensive sectors contributing to ethnic diversity.[34][35] No official post-2011 census updates exist, though state surveys indicate stable urban household sizes averaging 3-4 persons in similar Telangana towns.[36]Government and Politics
Civic Administration
Bellampalli Municipality, a second-grade urban local body under the Telangana Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department, was constituted from the defunct Gram Panchayat Bellampalli as a Notified Area Committee on January 31, 1987, and upgraded to municipality status the same year.[1] The municipality spans approximately 13.84 square kilometers and handles executive functions through a commissioner, who oversees daily operations including revenue collection and service delivery.[32] [37] The administrative area is divided into 34 wards, each managed by elected councillors under the Telangana Municipalities Act, 2019, which outlines responsibilities such as ward committee formation for local issue resolution involving up to 10 civil society representatives per ward.[38] [39] Key services include property tax assessment and collection by the revenue section, water tax billing, and municipal solid waste management, with a dedicated project report prepared in 2017 for waste handling across households lacking source segregation at the time.[40] [41] [42] Following Telangana's formation in 2014, the municipality integrated into the state's urban local bodies framework, contributing to statewide reforms completed by January 2021 that enabled additional open market borrowings of over ₹2,500 crore for infrastructure enhancements, including urban planning and civic amenities.[43] These reforms emphasized financial autonomy and service standardization without altering core municipal structures like ward divisions or commissioner-led administration.[44]Electoral History and Representation
Bellampalle is a Scheduled Caste-reserved assembly constituency within the Telangana Legislative Assembly, encompassing the town and surrounding areas in Mancherial district.[45] Since Telangana's formation in 2014, the seat has seen representation primarily by candidates affiliated with regional parties focused on local mining and employment concerns, with electoral outcomes reflecting shifts in voter preferences amid state-level political changes.[46] In the 2014 assembly elections, held on May 5 following Telangana's bifurcation from Andhra Pradesh, Durgam Chinnaiah of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS, later rebranded as Bharat Rashtra Samithi or BRS) secured victory with 73,779 votes, representing 61.76% of the valid votes cast, defeating Gunda Mallesh of the Communist Party of India (CPI) who garnered approximately 17.79% vote share; the margin was 52,528 votes amid a voter turnout of 73.85%.[47][46] Chinnaiah retained the seat in the 2018 elections on December 7, polling 55,026 votes (43.16% share) against Gaddam Vinod of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) with 43,750 votes (34.31%), winning by a narrower margin of 11,276 votes as competition intensified with multiple contenders.[47][46] The 2023 elections on November 30 marked a significant shift, with Congress candidate Gaddam Vinod defeating incumbent Durgam Chinnaiah (BRS) by 36,878 votes; Vinod received 82,217 votes (57.96% share), while Chinnaiah obtained 45,339 votes (31.96% share), aligning with Congress's statewide sweep of 64 seats that ended BRS rule.[47][46] Voter turnout rose to 81.19%, higher than in previous cycles, potentially influenced by demographic factors including the Scheduled Caste electorate and coal mining workforce responsive to promises on industrial employment and welfare schemes.[47]| Year | Winner | Party | Votes (% Share) | Margin | Turnout (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Durgam Chinnaiah | TRS | 73,779 (61.76) | 52,528 | 73.85 |
| 2018 | Durgam Chinnaiah | TRS | 55,026 (43.16) | 11,276 | N/A |
| 2023 | Gaddam Vinod | INC | 82,217 (57.96) | 36,878 | 81.19 |
Political Controversies and Local Governance Issues
In March 2023, Durgam Chinnaiah, then the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLA for Bellampalle, faced allegations of pressuring a woman operating a private dairy farm for sexual favors, as claimed in a viral audio clip where the accuser, Nandini alias Shailaja, stated that Chinnaiah had demanded favors in exchange for resolving a police complaint against her husband.[49] Chinnaiah denied the claims as baseless and politically motivated to damage his reputation, asserting no such interaction occurred and that he had not intervened in any police matter.[50] The incident drew criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which accused the BRS of shielding accused MLAs, particularly after BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao shared a public stage with Chinnaiah shortly thereafter.[51] The accuser later attempted suicide in June 2023 outside the BRS headquarters in Delhi while demanding action against Chinnaiah, highlighting ongoing grievances but with no reported legal conviction or formal charges resulting from the probe as of late 2023.[52] Gaddam Vinod, the Congress MLA elected in 2023, encountered public and party-internal backlash in 2025 for prolonged absenteeism from the constituency and failure to deliver on electoral promises such as improved infrastructure and employment initiatives.[53] Local Congress cadres and residents criticized Vinod for prioritizing state-level duties over addressing immediate concerns like water supply disruptions and road repairs, leading to protests including an August 2025 demonstration by farmers at his camp office involving threats with petrol bottles to demand intervention in agricultural subsidy delays.[54] Vinod's office attributed his absences to legislative commitments in Hyderabad, while supporters countered that early-term disruptions were exaggerated by opposition elements amid the Congress government's statewide implementation challenges.[55] No formal investigations into misconduct were reported, though the episodes underscored tensions in local accountability post the 2023 assembly elections. Allegations of governance lapses, such as delays in municipal fund allocation for sanitation projects, have periodically surfaced in Bellampalle's local administration, often linked to coal mining revenue dependencies, but official responses from the Mancherial district collectorate maintain these stem from procedural bottlenecks rather than intentional favoritism or corruption.[56] Independent audits by Telangana's Anti-Corruption Bureau in nearby areas have not yielded specific indictments against Bellampalle officials, though district-wide probes into bribery among revenue staff in 2025 highlight systemic vulnerabilities in resource-dependent locales.[57]Administrative Divisions
Bellampalli functions as the headquarters of Bellampalli Mandal within the Bellampalli Revenue Division of Mancherial district, following the 2016 reorganization that carved Mancherial from Adilabad district to streamline administration in the coal-rich Godavari Valley region.[58] The mandal encompasses the urban municipality of Bellampalli and 19 rural villages, providing jurisdictional oversight for local revenue collection, land records, and rural development.[59] As per the 2011 Census of India, Bellampalli Mandal recorded a total population of 80,897, comprising 53,958 urban residents in the town and 26,939 in rural villages, with a sex ratio of 962 females per 1,000 males and a literacy rate of 65.4%.[33] The villages vary in size, with larger ones like Akenpalle (population 1,421) and Chandravelli (1,058) supporting agricultural and mining-adjacent communities, while smaller hamlets such as Ankusam (1,032) focus on subsistence farming.[59]| Village Name | Population (2011) |
|---|---|
| Akenpalle | 1,421 |
| Batwanpalle | 1,234 |
| Budha Kalan | 2,156 |
| Budha Khurd | 890 |
| Chakepalle | 2,789 |
| Chandravelli | 1,058 |
