Mal is a community development block (CD block) that forms an administrative division in the Malbazar subdivision of the Jalpaiguri district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Geography
Malbazar is located at .
The Mal CD block lies in the north-western part of the district. The Teesta River flows along the western and southern boundary of the district, the Mal River flows along a portion of the eastern boundary. The northern portion has hilly terrain which is part of the sub-Himalayan ranges, the southern portion is part of the central tract, locally called Bhaber.
The Mal CD block is bounded by the Kalimpong I and Gorubathan CD blocks in Kalimpong district on the north, Matiali CD block on the east, Kranti CD block on the south, and Rajganj CD block on the west.
The Mal CD block has an area of 545.90 km2. It has 1 panchayat samity, 6 gram panchayats, 196 gram sansads (village councils), 106 mouzas, 100 inhabited villages and 2 census towns. Mal police station serves this block. Headquarters of this CD block is at Mal.
Gram panchayats of Mal block/ panchayat samiti are: Bagrakote, Damdim, Kumlai, Odlabari, Rungamati and Tesimla.
Demographics
Population
According to the 2011 Census of India, the Mal CD block had a total population of 299,556, of which 275,384 were rural, and 24,172 were urban. There were 151,826 (51%) males and 147,730 (49%) females. There were 19,208 persons in the age range of 0 to 6 years. The Scheduled Castes numbered 80,400 (26.84%) and the Scheduled Tribes numbered 103,356 (34.50%).
According to the 2001 census, Mal block had a total population of 264,711, out of which 134,956 were males and 129,755 were females. Mal block registered a population growth of 15.09 per cent during the 1991-2001 decade.
Census towns in the Mal CD block are (2011 census figures in brackets): Odlabari (14,194), Dakshin Odlabari (4,997).
Large villages (with 4,000+ population) in the Mal CD block are (2011 census figures in brackets): Washabari Tea Garden (4,101), Lishriver Tea Garden (6,903), Bagrakot Tea Garden (9,971), Gojaldoba Tea Garden (5,184), Odlabari Tea Garden (4,384), Patharjora Tea Garden (4,335), Menglass Tea Garden (4,369), Rangamati Tea Garden (8,607), Syli Tea Garden (4,751), Ranichera Tea Garden (5,088), Damdim Tea Garden (8,451), Kumlai Tea Garden (4,299), Tesimala (4,785), Haihaipathar (6,831), Bainguri Tea Garden (6,742), Bara Ghoria (4,063), Annandapur Tea Garden (4,104), Dakshin Hanskhali (7,771), Jogesh Chandra Tea Garden (4,881), Neorandi Tea Garden (4,077), Kranti (5,961), Uttar Khalpara (4,117), Uttar Saripakuri (4,270), Uttar Matiali (4,371), Jhar Matiali (6,493) and Dakshin Matiali (4,068).
Other villages in the Mal CD block include (2011 census figures in brackets): Gurjangjhora Tea Garden (2,423).
Literacy
According to the 2011 census, the total number of literate persons in the Mal CD block was 172,753 (66.31% of the population over 6 years) out of which males numbered 97,994 (74.23% of the male population over 6 years) and females numbered 74,759 (58.17% of the female population over 6 years). The gender disparity (the difference between female and male literacy rates) was 16.06%.
See also – List of West Bengal districts ranked by literacy rate
Language and religion
In the 2011 Census of India, Hindus numbered 207,524 and formed 69.28% of the population of Mal CD block. Muslims numbered 58,592 and formed 19.56% of the population. Christians numbered 24,958 and formed 8.33% of the population. Others numbered 8,482 and formed 2.83% of the population. Others include Addi Bassi, Marang Boro, Santal, Saranath, Sari Dharma, Sarna, Alchchi, Bidin, Sant, Saevdharm, Seran, Saran, Sarin, Kheria, and other religious communities.
At the time of the 2011 census, 43.94% of the population spoke Bengali, 29.56% Sadri, 8.97% Nepali, 4.23% Kurukh, 3.93% Rajbongshi, 2.38% Hindi, 1.24% Santali and 1.07% Mundari as their first language. 1.11% of the population were recorded as speaking 'Others' under Bengali.
Poverty level
Based on a study of the per capita consumption in rural and urban areas, using central sample data of NSS 55th Round 1999-2000, Jalpaiguri district was found to have relatively high rates of poverty of 35.73% in rural areas and 61.53% in the urban areas. It was one of the few districts where urban poverty rate was higher than the rural poverty rate.
According to a World Bank report, as of 2012, 26-31% of the population of Jalpaiguri, Bankura and Paschim Medinipur districts were below poverty line, a relatively high level of poverty in West Bengal, which had an average 20% of the population below poverty line.