Burdwan II is a community development block that forms an administrative division in Bardhaman Sadar North subdivision of Purba Bardhaman district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Geography
Location
Baghar, a constituent panchayat of Burdwan II block, is located at .
Burdwan II CD Block is part of the Bardhaman Plain, the central plain area of the district. The area is surrounded by the Bhagirathi on the east, the Ajay on the north-west and the Damodar on the west and south. Old river channels and small creeks found in the region dry up in the dry season, but the Bardhaman Plains are sometimes subject to heavy floods during the rainy season. The region has recent alluvial soils.
Burdwan II CD Block is bounded by Burdwan I on the west and a part of the north, Memari II CD Block on a part of the north and a part of the east, Memari I CD Block on a part of the east and Raina I CD Block on the south.
Burdwan II CD Block has an area of 189.57 km2. It has 1 panchayat samity, 9 gram panchayats, 116 gram sansads (village councils), 89 mouzas and 83 inhabited villages. Burdwan police station and Women police station Burdwan serve this block. Headquarters of this CD Block is at Barshul.
Gram panchayats of Burdwan II block/panchayat samiti are: Baikunthapur I, Barsul I, Kurmun&II, Baikunthapur II, Barsul II, Nabastha I, Bandul II, Gobindapur and Nabastha II.
Demographics
Population
As per the 2011 Census of India Burdwan II CD Block had a total population of 152,939, of which 146,592 were rural and 6,347 were urban. There were 77,276 (51%) males and 75,663 (49%) females. Population below 6 years was 15,593. Scheduled Castes numbered 59,322 (38.79%) and Scheduled Tribes numbered 18,242 (11.93%).
As per 2001 census, Burdwan II block had a total population of 138,909, out of which 70,864 were males and 68,045 were females. Burdwan II block registered a population growth of 17.63 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 57,451 formed more than one-third the population. Scheduled tribes numbered 17,104.
Census Town in Burdwan II CD Block is (2011 census figure in brackets): Gangpur (6,347).
Large villages (with 4,000+ population) in Burdwan II CD Block are (2011 census figures in brackets): Bamchandaipur (4,607), Samanti (4,535), Hatgobindapur (5,823), Putunda (4,409), Saktigarh (8,432) and Barshul (5,483).
Other villages in Burdwan II CD Block include (2011census figures in brackets): Baikanthapur (2,742), Nabastha (2,387), Kandorsona (3,362) and Palsit (3,578).
Literacy
As per the 2011 census the total number of literates in Burdwan II CD Block was 101,806 (74.12% of the population over 6 years) out of which males numbered 56,305 (81.13% of the male population over 6 years) and females numbered 45,501 (66.97% of the female population over 6 years). The gender disparity (the difference between female and male literacy rates) was 14.16%.
As per 2001 census, Burdwan II block had a total literacy of 68.11 per cent for the 6+ age group. While male literacy was 77.78 per cent female literacy was 58.02 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
Languages and religion
In the 2011 census Hindus numbered 133,679 and formed 87.41% of the population in Burdwan II CD Block. Muslims numbered 16,766 and formed 10.96% of the population. Christians numbered 101 and formed 0.07% of the population. Others numbered 2,393 and formed 1.56% of the population.
At the time of the 2011 census, 89.82% of the population spoke Bengali, 7.35% Santali and 2.13% Hindi as their first language.
Rural poverty
As per poverty estimates obtained from household survey for families living below poverty line in 2005, rural poverty in Burdwan II CD Block was 21.68%.
Economy
Livelihood
In Burdwan II CD Block in 2011, amongst the class of total workers, cultivators formed 11.35%, agricultural labourers 50.20%, household industry workers 1.71% and other workers 36.74%.
Burdwan II CD Block is part of the area where agriculture dominates the scenario but the secondary and tertiary sectors have shown an increasing trend.