History of Bellampalli

Bellampalli in Mancherial district has a very ancient history. Bellampalli emerged with the birth of coal.

Bellampalli, located in Mancherial district, carries a rich and ancient history. The town grew with the rise of coal mining and is often called the land of black gold. Once a small hamlet nine decades ago, it has steadily developed into a major revenue division. Over its 90-year journey, Bellampalli has overcome many challenges and established a unique identity of its own.

The Bellampalli region came to light with the emergence of coal mines. British geologist Sir William King's exploration resulted in the discovery of huge coal deposits in this region. For the first time in the history of Singareni, black gold was discovered in Singareni village in Illendu, Khammam district, and later the birth of coal began in Bellampalli itself. Coal exploration was carried out in the area in 1926 and coal mining was undertaken in Bellampalli from 1927. Coal mining began here initially with the Margansfit mine. Later, many mines spread and Bellampalli became the benchmark for Singareni. In that way, Bellampalli transformed into an industrial area.

Bellampalli is well-known for its rich coal mining heritage. As part of the Godavari Valley coalfields, the town hosts several opencast and underground mines operated by the Singareni Collieries Company Limited. Coal mining has been a cornerstone of Bellampalli’s identity since the establishment of the region’s first mine in 1936.

Once a small hamlet just a few decades ago, Bellampalli began to flourish with the rapid expansion of coal mining and the arrival of thousands of workers. For many years, it functioned as an affiliated village under the Chandravelli Gram Panchayat. In the 1981 Chandravelli GP elections, labor leader Chippa Narsayyya—representing the worker-dominated Bellampalli Karmika Kshetra—was elected as Sarpanch.

After his five-year term, Bellampalli’s growing importance led the government to declare it a second-class municipality in 1987, officially separating it from Chandravelli GP. Its influence continued to rise, and Bellampalli became a significant town within the Asifabad Assembly constituency. Over the years, several leaders from Bellampalli—including Dasari Narsayya (Congress), Gunda Mallesh (CPI), A. Sridevi, and P. Subhadra (TDP)—served as MLAs and made notable contributions. In the 2009 constituency reorganization, Bellampalli was recognized as an independent Assembly constituency.

During the formation of new districts, Bellampalli even emerged as a strong contender for district headquarters, supported by its well-developed infrastructure and resources. While it was not designated as a district, the town was unanimously chosen as a revenue division center—marking another step in its remarkable growth.

From its roots in coal mining to its evolution into a thriving administrative hub, Bellampalli’s journey reflects both resilience and rapid development, making it an intriguing destination with a rich local story.