Durgapur Faridpur 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
Faridpur is an old village. The area was earlier densely forested. Some ancient Buddhist sculptures were discovered in the village of Pratapur under Faridpur police station. Peterson's Gazetteer of 1910 mentions five police stations under Asansol subdivision – Asansol, Raniganj, Kanksa, Barakar and Faridpur.
Geography
Laudoha, a constituent gram panchayat of Durgapur-Faridpur CD Block, is located at .
The southern part of Durgapur Faridpur 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. The northern part of the CD Block is part of the Kanksa Ketugram plain. 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.
Durgapur Faridpur CD Block is bounded by Dubrajpur and Ilambazar CD Blocks, in Birbhum district, on the north, Kanksa CD Block on the east, Durgapur (municipal corporation), with Barjora CD Block, in Bankura district, beyond it, on the south and Andal and Pandabeswar CD Blocks on the west.
Durgapur Faridpur CD Block has an area of 155.97 km2. It has 1 panchayat samity, 6 gram panchayats, 88 gram sansads (village councils), 54 mouzas and 48 inhabited villages. Faridpur and New Township police stations serve this block. Headquarters of this CD Block is at Laudoha.
Kunur River, one of main tributaries of the Ajay, 112 km in length, has its origin near Bansgara in the Faridpur police station area. With water from several small streams swelling it during the monsoons, it often floods large areas of Ausgram and Mangalkot police stations. It joins the Ajay near Ujani village.
Gram panchayats of Durgapur-Faridpur block/panchayat samiti are: Gogla, Gourbazar, Ichapur, Jemua, Laudoha and Protappur.
Demographics
Population
As per the 2011 Census of India Durgapur Faridpur CD Block had a total population of 115,924, of which 85,370 were rural and 30,554 were urban. There were 60,478 (52%) males and 55,446 (48%) females. Population below 6 years was 13,309. Scheduled Castes numbered 36,641 (31.61%) and Scheduled Tribes numbered 8,073 (6.96%).
As per 2001 census, Durgapur Faridpur block had a total population of 108,619, out of which 59,253 were males and 49,336 were females. Durgapur-Faridpur block registered a population growth of 19.00 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 35,692 formed around one-third the population. Scheduled tribes numbered 8,211.
Census Towns in Durgapur Faridpur CD Block are (2011 census figures in brackets): Mandarbani (4,592), Banagram (5,635), Sirsha (4,600), Nabaghanapur (5,383), Sarpi (5,549) and Ichhapur (4,795).
Large villages (with 4,000+ population) in Durgapur Faridpur CD Block are (2011 census figures in brackets):Shyamsundarpur (6,273), Jemua (5,976) and Madhaipur (5,140).
Other villages in Fardipur Durgapur CD Block are (2011census figures in brackets): Laudoha (2,399), Gogla (1,799), Pratappur (1,644), Tilaboni (1,659) and Jhanjra (2,125).
Literacy
As per the 2011 census the total number of literates in Durgapur Faridpur CD Block was 76,080 (74.14% of the population over 6 years) out of which males numbered 43,951 (82.05% of the male population over 6 years) and females numbered 32,129 (65.50% of the female population over 6 years). The gender disparity (the difference between female and male literacy rates) was 16.55%.
As per 2001 census, Durgapur-Faridpur block had a total literacy of 67.34 per cent for the 6+ age group. While male literacy was 77.94 per cent female literacy was 55.14 per cent. Bardhaman district had a total literacy of 70.18 per cent, male literacy being 78.63 per cent and female literacy being 60.95 per cent.
See also – List of West Bengal districts ranked by literacy rate
Language and religion
In the 2011 census Hindus numbered 98,921 and formed 85.33% of the population in Durgapur Faridpur CD Block. Muslims numbered 16,105 and formed 13.89% of the population. Christians numbered 179 and formed 0.15% of the population. Others numbered 719 and formed 0.62% of the population.
