Garhbeta II is a community development block that forms an administrative division in Medinipur Sadar subdivision of Paschim Medinipur district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
History
Red corridor
106 districts spanning 10 states across India, described as being part of the Left Wing Extremism activities, constitutes the Red corridor. In West Bengal the districts of Pashim Medinipur, Bankura, Purulia and Birbhum are part of the Red corridor. However, as of July 2016, there has been no reported incidents of Maoist related activities from these districts for the previous 4 years. In the period 2009-2011 LWE violence resulted in more than 500 deaths and a similar number missing in Paschim Medinipur district.
The Lalgarh movement, which started attracting attention after the failed assassination attempt on Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, then chief minister of West Bengal, in the Salboni area of Paschim Medinipur district, on 2 November 2008 and the police action that followed, had also spread over to these areas. The movement was not just a political struggle but an armed struggle that concurrently took the look of a social struggle. A large number of CPI (M) activists were killed. Although the epi-centre of the movement was Lalgarh, it was spread across 19 police stations in three adjoining districts – Paschim Medinipur, Bankura and Purulia, all thickly forested and near the border with Jharkhand. The deployment of CRPF and other forces started on 11 June 2009. The movement came to an end after the 2011 state assembly elections and change of government in West Bengal. The death of Kishenji, the Maoist commander, on 24 November 2011 was the last major landmark.
From 2009 Maoist violence had rapidly spread across eleven western CD blocks of the district: Binpur I, Binpur II, Salboni, Grahbeta II, Jamboni, Jhargram, Midnapore Sadar, Gopiballavpur I, Gopiballavpur II, Sankrail and Nayagram.
Geography
In Garhbeta II CD block 90% of the cultivated area has alluvial soil and 10% has lateritic soil. Garhbeta II CD block is drought prone.
Goaltore, a constituent panchayat of Garhbeta II CD block, is located at .
Garhbeta II CD block is bounded by Taldangra and Simlapal CD blocks in Bankura district in the north, Garhbeta I and Garhbeta III CD blocks in the east, Salboni CD block in the south and Sarenga CD block in Bankura district in the west.
It is located 53 km from Midnapore, the district headquarters.
Garhbeta II CD block has an area of 392.55 km2. It has 1 panchayat samity, 10 gram panchayats, 110 gram sansads (village councils), 334 mouzas and 264 inhabited villages. Garhbeta and Goaltore police stations serve this block. Headquarters of this CD block is at Goaltore.
Garhbeta II CD block had a forest cover of 7,460 hectares, against a total geographical area of 43,970 hectares in 2005-06.
Gram panchayats of Garhbeta II block/ panchayat samiti are: Amlasuli, Goaltore, Gohaldanga, Jirapara, Jogardnga, Makli, Patharpara, Piasala, Pingboni and Saraboth.
Demographics
Population
According to the 2011 Census of India Garhbeta II CD block had a total population of 148,410, all of which were rural. There were 75,165 (51%) males and 73,245 (49%) females. Population in the age range 0–6 years was 17,102. Scheduled Castes numbered 39,301 (26.48%) and Scheduled Tribes numbered 29,669 (19.99%).
As per the 2001 census, Garhbeta II block had a total population of 131,085, out of which 66,954 were males and 64,131 were females. Garhbeta II block registered a population growth of 18.59 per cent during the 1991-2001 decade. Decadal growth for the combined Midnapore district was 14.87 per cent. Decadal growth in West Bengal was 17.45 per cent.
Villages in Garhbeta II CD block include (2011 census figures in brackets): Goaltore (693), Makli (1,224), Pingboni (2,366), Amlasuli (2,169), Piasala (1,848), Gohaldanga (1,577), Sarbot (423), Jirapara (1,455), Patharpara (308) and Jagardanga (1,967).
Literacy
According to the 2011 census, the total number of literate persons in Garhbeta II CD block was 99,621 (75.87% of the population over 6 years) out of which males numbered 55,877 (84.14% of the male population over 6 years) and females numbered 43,744 (67.41% of the female population over 6 years).The gender gap in literacy rates was 16.73%.