The Community development block (C.D.Block; Hindi: सामुदायिक विकास खंड) is a rural area earmarked for administration and development in India. The area is administered by a Block Development Officer. A community development block covers several gram panchayats, local administrative unit at the village level.
Currently, C.D.Blocks are administrative units of 3rd level in some states of India (equal to tehsils in other states). For example, Bihar has 38 districts and 534 C.D. Blocks. West Bengal has 18 districts and 341 development blocks.
History
The community development programme was launched on a pilot basis in 1952 to provide for a substantial increase in the country’s agricultural programme, and for improvements in systems of communication, in rural health and hygiene, and in rural education and also to initiate and direct a process of integrated culture change aimed at transforming the social and economic life of villagers.The community development programme was rapidly implemented. In 1956, by the end of the first five-year plan period, there were 248 blocks, covering around a fifth of the population in the country. By the end the second five-year plan period, there were 3,000 blocks covering 70 per cent of the rural population. By 1964, the entire country was covered.