Pandabeswar is a community development block that forms an administrative division in Durgapur subdivision of Paschim Bardhaman district in the Indian state of West Bengal. History During World War II there was an American airbase at Pandabeswar. Geography Pandabeswar is located at . 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. 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 police station 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. Demographics 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