Places in Raghunathpur subdivision in Purulia district M: municipal town, C: census town, R: rural/ urban centre, H: historical/ religious centre, T: tourist centre Owing to space constraints in the small map, the actual locations in a larger map may vary slightly
Location
As per the map of Neturia CD block on page 309 of District Census Handbook, Puruliya. Saltore, Hijuli and Parbelia form a cluster of census towns.[2]
Area overview
Purulia district forms the lowest step of the Chota Nagpur Plateau. The general scenario is undulating land with scattered hills.[3]Raghunathpur subdivision occupies the northern part of the district. 83.80% of the population of the subdivision lives in rural areas. However, there are pockets of urbanization and 16.20% of the population lives in urban areas. There are 14 census towns in the subdivision.[4] It is presented in the map given alongside. There is a coal mining area around Parbelia[5] and two thermal power plants are there – the 500 MW Santaldih Thermal Power Station[6] and the 1200 MW Raghunathpur Thermal Power Station. The subdivision has a rich heritage of old temples, some of them belonging to the 11th century or earlier. The Banda Deul is a monument of national importance.[7][8] The comparatively more recent in historical terms, Panchkot Raj has interesting and intriguing remains in the area.[9][10]
Note: The map alongside presents some of the notable locations in the subdivision. All places marked in the map are linked in the larger full screen map.
Demographics
According to the 2011 Census of India Parbeliya had a total population of 5,279 of which 2,783 (53%) were males and 2,496 (47%) were females. There were 613 persons in the age range of 0–6 years. The total number of literate persons in Parbeliya was 3,462 (74.20% of the population over 6 years).[11]
As of 2001[update] India census,[12] Parbelia had a population of 6036. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Par Beliya has an average literacy rate of 59%, lower than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 69%, and female literacy is 48%. In Par Beliya, 14% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Infrastructure
According to the District Census Handbook 2011, Puruliya, Parbeliya covered an area of 6.23 km2. There is a railway station at Barakar, 8 km away. Among the civic amenities, the protected water supply involved hand pumps. It had 403 domestic electric connections. Among the medical facilities it had 4 dispensaries/ health centres, 1 maternity and child welfare centre. Among the educational facilities it had were 2 primary schools, 1 secondary school, 1 senior secondary school.[13]
Collieries in the Sodepur Area of Eastern Coalfields are: Sodepur, Mouthdih, Parbelia, Dubeswari, Chinakuri I, Chinakuri II, Chinakuri III, Ranipur and Poidih.[14] Out of these collieries Parbelia, Dubeswari and Ranipur are located in Purulia district, south of the Damodar River. There is a railway link from Ramkanali station on the Asansol-Adra line for colliery sidings.[15]
Transport
State Highway 5 (West Bengal) running from Rupnarayanpur (in Bardhaman district) to Junput (in Purba Medinipur district) passes through Par Beliya.[16]
Parbelia Colliery Hindi Higher Secondary School is a Hindi-medium institution established in 1945. It has facilities for teaching from class V to class XII.[18]
Parbelia Colliery High School is a Bengali-medium coeducational institution established in 1964. It has facilities for teaching from class V to class XII.[19]
^"District Census Handbook Puruliya, Census of India 2011, Series 20, Part XII A"(PDF). Section II Town Directory, Pages 1073-1083 Statement I: Status and Growth History, Pages 1006-1010; Statement II: Physical Aspects and Location of Towns, Pages 1010-1015; Statement III: Civic and other Amenities, Pages 1015-1019; Statement IV: Medical Facilities 2009, Pages 1019-1027 Statement V: Educational, Recreational and Cultural Facilities, Pages 1027- 1029: Statement VI:Industry and Banking. Directorate of Census Operations V, West Bengal. Retrieved 30 January 2020.