GONDIA

Gondia, situated in latitude 21° 28' north and  80° 13' east, on the Bombay-Nagpur-Howrah trunk line, is the head quarters of the tahsil of the same name. The tahsil, with its headquarters at Tirora, was previously known as Tirora tahsil  but came to be known as Gondia tahsil with shifting of the headquarters to Gondia in 1914. Gondia is the railway junction for the line running towards its north to Jabbalpur across the Satpuda plateau, and to Brahmapuri and Chanda southwards. By rail it is 81 miles from  Nagpur and 601 from Bombay. And is also connected with Bombay-Nagpur-Calcutta national highway by a branch road which forks off at Sadak Arjuni. A new road has recently been constructed linking Tumsur and Tirora with Gondia. The district is included in the Chanda postal division. The head post office is situated at Gondia there being two telegraph offices at Gondia and Gondia Bazar, respectively. There is a telephone exchange too. Gondia, which was no more than a village in 1901 with a population of 4, 457, has rapidly grown into a prosperous and populous municipal town. Its population stood at 77, 992 in 1971. There is hardly any town in the district to rival Gondia in commercial activity. The railway has been primarily responsible for the speedy growth and prosperity of the place. It is the one of the two leading goods stations in Bhandara receiving the produce of the surrounding area of Bhandara and of the lowland of the adjoining Balaghat  district of Madhya Pradesh. The town has a considerable trade in grain and forest produce. It is a wholesale centre for the collection and distribution of agriculture produce, there being a regulated market provided with all the essential amenities and facilities. Many a Cutchi, Marvadi, Gujarathi traders, Kirar and Shindhi petty dealers reside here. A large weekly market is held on Tuesday at which all kinds of articles such as food grain, pulses, chillis, spices, gur, oils, fruits and vegetables are brought for sale. Pedlars and hawkers set-up temporary booths. The local traders and shop-keepers also set up temporary stalls. Buyer within a radius of eight to ten miles frequent this weekly market. Since tendu leaves grow in abundance in the forest of the region there are some large scale factories engaged in the manufacture as well as sorting and packing of bidis for export. Manufacture of shallac, seedlac, kirilac etc., from crude lac is localised at Gondia. This is an important industry as the forest in the vicinity yield lac in abundance. A fine Litho Works undertakes lithographic printing affording employment to over 200 workers. Tumblers chimneys and other glass-ware are also manufactured. The town has also a bone mill, beside saw mills, and rice and flour mills. Gondia being an important commercial centre leads in banking activities and has more than half the 13 banking institutions in the district, both scheduled and non-scheduled. It has two branches of the Central Co-operative Bank. There is also a branch of the State Bank which works for the treasury too.

"The town stands close to the railway station and is well laid out with two main roads. The greater part of it is situated on Government land and the rents of this are credited to a fund for sanitary purposes which are supplement by a house-tax. The receipts of the fund are about Rs. 2, 000 annually. Considerable progress has been made with a drainage scheme. Gondia is a notified area under the Municipal Act. The total area of Gondia village is 1, 430 acres of which 150 are nazul or Government land". The town has since considerably expanded and is laid out with some fine roads.

Municipality

Gondia was constituted a municipality in 1919. Its jurisdiction, extends over an area of seven squire miles. Thirty-four members compose the municipal committee.
Income and expenditure 

Municipal receipts derived from various sources such as municipal rates and taxes, property and powers apart from taxation, realisations under special acts and grants for special and general purposes were Rs. 23, 31, 591 in 1968-69. Expenditure incurred on general administration and collection of taxes, public health, public safety, convenience and public instruction etc., stood at Rs. 25,07,042 during the same year. Income and expenditure on account of extra-ordinary and debt hands amounted to Rs. 14, 432 and Rs. 16, 364  respectively.
Medical Aid, Water Supply and Drainage

The town has mostly Government conducted Medical Institutions affording adequate medical treatment. A survey, education and treatment leprosy unit has therefore been maintained here. For T. B. Patients a T. B. hospital with 50 beds, an X-ray plant and other modern equipment, was opened in 1957-58. Besides, there are B. G. Women's hospital and the K. T. S. hospital including a family planning centre  and an ayurvedic dispensary. In 1968-69 the municipality is spent Rs. 7, 220 on account of the veterinary dispensary of the town. Measures for malaria eradication and the control of epidemic diseases like cholera and small-pox are taken from time to time. Gondia still depends on well for water supply. A water-works estimated to cost Rs. 57, 00, 000 would, however, soon provide this prosperous town with tap-water. Although the drainage system consists of open stone-lined surface gutters, care is taken to keep the town sanitarily clean.
Education  

There are primary schools imparting education in Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi and Hindi and balak mandirs. In addition to middle schools the town has one municipal higher secondary school and other conducted privately. The Natwarlal Maniklal Dalal College has the faculties of Art and Commerce. And Industrial Training Institute trains students in the courses of electrician, fitter, turner, welder and carpenter. Training is also provided in certain technical by the Government Technical High School. A non-government institute imparts training in minor trades like tailoring and cutting. The town has also library facilities made available both by government and privet institutions.

A fairly well equipped fire brigade is maintained by the municipality. It has also provided markets for vegetables, fish, mutton and beef. Of the two gardens, the one known as Shubhash Garden is maintained by the municipality. Gondia has a temple in honour of Ram and had  a station of the Methodist Episcopal Mission.

Gondia is the headquarters of a sub-division, and has the tahsil, office, panchayat samiti, civil and criminal courts, police station a sub-registration office and various other government establishment. There is also a S. T. bus stand and a rest house.

Back