Bankura II

From Bishnupur kingdom to the British Raj From around the 7th century AD till around the advent of British rule, for around a millennium, history of Bankura district is identical with the rise and fall of the Hindu Rajas of Bishnupur. The Bishnupur Rajas, who were at the summit of their fortunes towards the end of the 17th century, started declining in the first half of the 18th century. First, the Maharaja of Burdwan seized the Fatehpur Mahal, and then the Maratha invasions laid waste their country. Bishnupur was ceded to the British with the rest of Burdwan chakla in 1760. In 1787, Bishnupur was united with Birbhum to form a separate administrative unit. In 1793 it was transferred to the Burdwan collectorate. In 1879, the district acquired its present shape with the thanas of Khatra and Raipur and the outpost of Simplapal being transferred from Manbhum, and the thanas of Sonamukhi, Kotulpur and Indas being retransferred from Burdwan. However, it was known for sometime as West Burdwan and in 1881 came to be known as Bankura district. ==Geography==

Bikna, a constituent panchayat in the block, is located at . Bankura II CD block is located in the central part of the district. It belongs to the Bankura-Bishnupur Rarh Plains. The elevation rises gradually in the undulating surface area but in the hilly tract it rises abruptly. Bankura II CD block is bounded by the Gangajalghati CD block on the north, Barjora CD block on the east, Onda and Bankura I CD blocks on the south and Chhatna CD block on the west. Bankura II CD block has an area of 220.84 km2. It has 1 panchayat samity, 7 gram panchayats, 102 gram sansads (village councils), 154 mouzas and 144 inhabited villages. Bankura police station serves this block. Headquarters of this CD block is at Village: Bikna, PO Kesiakole. Gram panchayats of Bankura II block/ panchayat samiti are: Bikna, Junbedia, Kostia, Mankanali, Narrah, Purandarpur and Sanbanda. ==Demographics==

Population According to the 2011 Census of India, Bankura II CD block had a total population of 140,864, all of which were rural. There were 72,302 (51%) males and 68,562 (49%) females. Population in the age range of 0 to 6 years was 15,927. Scheduled Castes numbered 41,998 (29.81%) and Scheduled Tribes numbered 3,508 (2.49%). According to the 2001 census, Bankura II block had a total population of 123,374, out of which 63,306 were males and 60,068 were females. Bankura II block registered a population growth of 13.49 per cent during the 1991-2001 decade. Decadal growth for the district was 15.15 per cent. Decadal growth in West Bengal was 17.84 per cent. Large villages (with 4,000+ population) in Bankura II CD block are (2011 census figures in brackets): Syamdaspur (4,714). Literacy in West Bengal was 77.08% in 2011. Literacy in India in 2011 was 74.04%. Others include Addi Bassi, Marang Boro, Santal, Saranath, Sari Dharma, Sarna, Alchchi, Bidin, Sant, Saevdharm, Seran, Saran, Sarin, Kheria, and other religious communities. In 2001, Hindus were 97.69% and Muslims 1.41% of the population. At the time of the 2011 census, 97.54% of the population spoke Bengali and 1.99% Santali as their first language. ==Rural poverty==

In Bankura II CD block 38.48% families were living below poverty line in 2007. According to the Rural Household Survey in 2005, 28.87% of the total number of families were BPL families in the Bankura district. ==Economy==

Livelihood {{Pie chart In the Bankura II CD block in 2011, among the class of total workers, cultivators numbered 11,288 and formed 21.49%, agricultural labourers numbered 13,578 and formed 25.85%, household industry workers numbered 2,718 and formed 5.17% and other workers numbered 24,941 and formed 47.48%. Total workers numbered 52,525 and formed 37.29% of the total population, and non-workers numbered 88,339 and formed 62.71% of the population. Note: In the census records a person is considered a cultivator, if the person is engaged in cultivation/ supervision of land owned by self/government/institution. When a person who works on another person's land for wages in cash or kind or share, is regarded as an agricultural labourer. Household industry is defined as an industry conducted by one or more members of the family within the household or village, and one that does not qualify for registration as a factory under the Factories Act. Other workers are persons engaged in some economic activity other than cultivators, agricultural labourers and household workers. It includes factory, mining, plantation, transport and office workers, those engaged in business and commerce, teachers, entertainment artistes and so on. Infrastructure There are 144 inhabited villages in the Bankura II CD block, as per the District Census Handbook, Bankura, 2011. 100% villages have power supply. 141 villages (97.92%) have drinking water supply. 19 villages (13.19%) have post offices. 123 villages (85.42%) have telephones (including landlines, public call offices and mobile phones). 37 villages (35.69%) have pucca (paved) approach roads and 48 villages (33.33%) have transport communication (includes bus service, rail facility and navigable waterways). 15 villages (10.42%) have agricultural credit societies and 10 villages (6.94%) have banks. Agriculture There were 26 fertiliser depots, 12 seed stores and 46 fair price shops in the CD block. In 2013-14, persons engaged in agriculture in Bankura II CD block could be classified as follows: bargadars 10.98%, patta (document) holders 9.52%, small farmers (possessing land between 1 and 2 hectares) 10.07%, marginal farmers (possessing land up to 1 hectare) 25.95% and agricultural labourers 43.48%. In 2013-14, the total area irrigated in Bankura II CD block was 3,602 hectares, out of which 1,350 hectares by tank water, 680 hectares by river lift irrigation, 1,300 hectares by shallow tubewells, 200 hectares by open dug wells and 72 hectares by other means. Bankura district is famous for the artistic excellence of its pottery products that include the famous Bankura horse. The range of pottery products is categorised as follows: domestic utilities, terracota and other decorative items and roofing tiles and other heavy pottery items. The terracotta and decorative items include horse, elephant, tiger, ox, flower vase, Mansa Saj, ash-tray and other items of religious use. These are produced in the following CD blocks: Taldangra, Sonamukhi, Sarenga, Bankura I and Bankura II. Around 3,200 families were involved in pottery making in the district in 2002. 63 families were involved in Bankura II CD block. Banking In 2013-14, Bankura II CD block had offices of 5 commercial banks and 3 gramin banks. ==Transport==

In 2013-14, Bankura II CD block had 7 originating/ terminating bus routes. There are stations at Belboni, Nobanda and Bikna. State Highway 9 (West Bengal) running from Durgapur (in Paschim Bardhaman district) to Nayagram (in Jhargram district) passes through this CD block. ==Education==

In 2013-14, Bankura II CD block had 127 primary schools with 12,933 students, 6 middle schools with 694 students, 8 high schools with 7,123 students and 10 higher secondary schools with 9,204 students. Bankura II CD block had 4 professional/ technical institution with 381 students and 208 institutions for special and non-formal education with 6,235 students. Bankura (municipal town) had 3 colleges and universities outside the CD Block. Bankura II CD block had 5 mass literacy centres. See also – Education in India According to the 2011 census, in the Bankura II CD block, among the 144 inhabited villages, 21 villages did not have a school, 37 villages had two or more primary schools, 30 villages had at least 1 primary and 1 middle school and 19 villages had at least 1 middle and 1 secondary school. ==Healthcare==

In 2014, Bankura II CD block had 1 block primary health centre, 2 primary health centres and 1 private nursing home with total 94 beds and 5 doctors. It had 23 family welfare sub centres and 1 family welfare centre. 1,467 patients were treated indoor and 126,570 patients were treated outdoor in the hospitals, health centres and subcentres of the CD block. Kanchanpur Block Primary Health Centre, with 15 beds at Kanchanpur, is the major government medical facility in the Bankura II CD block. There are primary health centres at Narrah (with 4 beds) and Mankanali (with 10 beds). ==External links==