Burdwan I 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 I block, is located at .
Burdwan I 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 I CD Block is bounded by Bhatar and Manteswar CD Blocks on the north, Memari II and Burdwan II CD Blocks on the east, Khandaghosh CD Block on the south and Galsi II CD Block on the west.
Burdwan I CD Block has an area of 250.41 km2. It has 1 panchayat samity, 9 gram panchayats, 162 gram sansads (village councils), 80 mouzas and 75 inhabited villages. Burdwan police station and Women police station Burdwan serve this block. Headquarters of this CD Block is at Kamnara.
Gram panchayats of Burdwan I block/panchayat samiti are: Baghar I, Baghar II, Belkash, Bondul I, Kshetia, Kurmun I, Rayan I, Rayan II and Saraitikar.
Demographics
Population
As per the 2011 Census of India Burdwan I CD Block had a total population of 215,943, of which 175,836 were rural and 40,107 were urban. There were 109,841 (51%) males and 106,102 (49%) females. Population below 6 years was 23,365. Scheduled Castes numbered 65,028 (30.11%) and Scheduled Tribes numbered 12,127 (5.62%).
As per 2001 census, Burdwan I block had a total population of 179,774, out of which 92,276 were males and 87,498 were females. Burdwan I block registered a population growth of 23.93 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 61,087 formed around one-third the population. Scheduled tribes numbered 12,309.
Census Towns in Burdwan I CD Block are (2011 census figures in brackets): Goda (P) (6,483), Bahir Sarbamangala (P) (12,819), Mirzapur (7,733) and Nari (P) (13,072).
Large villages (with 4,000+ population) in Burdwan I CD Block are (2011 census figures in brackets): Jagadabad (4,006), Talit (5,240), Krishnapur (6,279), Simdali (5,501), Kharjuli (4,198), Rayan (18,973), Sadhanpur (P) (8181) and Kurmun (8,478).
Other villages in Burdwan I CD Block include (2011census figures in brackets): Bandul (1,823), Saraitikar (3,383), Belkash (1,244), Baghar (3,395) and Khetia (2,421).
Literacy
As per the 2011 census, the total number of literates in Burdwan I CD Block was 146,493 (76.07% of the population over 6 years) out of which males numbered 80,604 (82.21% of the male population over 6 years) and females numbered 65,889 (69.70% of the female population over 6 years). The gender disparity (the difference between female and male literacy rates) was 12.51%.
As per 2001 census, Burdwan I block had a total literacy of 68.83 per cent for the 6+ age group. While male literacy was 77.68 per cent female literacy was 59.42 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 152,908 and formed 70.81% of the population in Burdwan I CD Block. Muslims numbered 61,823 and formed 28.38% of the population. Christians numbered 750 and formed 0.35% of the population. Others numbered 1,002 and formed 0.46% of the population.
In Bardhaman district the percentage of Hindu population has been declining from 84.3% in 1961 to 77.9% in 2011 and the percentage of Muslim population has increased from 15.2% in 1961 to 20.7% in 2011.
At the time of the 2011 census, 92.15% of the population spoke Bengali, 4.53% Santali and 2.91% Hindi as their first language.
Rural poverty
As per poverty estimates obtained from a household survey for families living below poverty line in 2005, rural poverty in Burdwan I CD Block was 33.70%.
Economy
Livelihood
In Burdwan I CD Block in 2011, amongst the class of total workers, cultivators formed 12.91%, agricultural labourers 39.56%, household industry workers 3.66% and other workers 43.86%.
Burdwan I CD Block is part of the area where agriculture dominates the scenario but the secondary and tertiary sectors have shown an increasing trend.