Country India District Purulia PIN 723131 (Manbazar) Elevation 236 m Literacy 63.8% Area code 03253 | State West Bengal Time zone IST (UTC+5:30) Telephone/STD code 03253 Area 381.3 km² Population 154,071 (2011) | |
Manbazar I is a community development block that forms an administrative division in Purulia Sadar East subdivision of Purulia district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Contents
Background
The Jaina Bhagavati-Sutra of 5th century AD mentions that Purulia was one of the sixteen mahajanapadas and was a part of the kingdom known as Vajra-bhumi in ancient times. In 1833, Manbhum district was carved out of Jungle Mahals district, with headquarters at Manbazar. In 1838, the headquarters was transferred to Purulia. In 1956, Manbhum district was partitioned between Bihar and West Bengal under the States Reorganization Act and the Bihar and West Bengal (Transfer of Territories) Act 1956.
Maoist activities
Manbazar, along with certain other areas such as Banduan, Jhalda, and Jaipur were part of the area of violent activities by Maoists, also referred to as Naxalites.
Red corridor
106 districts spanning 10 states across India, described as being part of the Left Wing Extremism activities, constitutes the Red corridor. In West Bengal the districts of Paschim Medinipur, Bankura, Purulia and Birbhum are part of the Red corridor. However, as of July 2016, there had been no reported incidents of Maoist related activities from these districts for the previous 4 years.
The CPI (Maoist) extremism affected CD Blocks in Purulia district were: Jhalda I, Jhalda II, Arsha, Baghmundi, Balarampur, Barabazar, Manbazar II and Bandwan.Certain reports also included Manbazar I and Joypur CD Blocks and some times indicted the whole of Purulia district.
The Lalgarh movement, which started attracting attention after the failed assassination attempt on Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, then chief minister of West Bengal, in the Salboni area of Paschim Medinipur district, on 2 November 2008 and the police action that followed, had also spread over to these areas. The movement was not just a political struggle but an armed struggle that concurrently took the look of a social struggle. A large number of CPI (M) activists were killed. Although the epi-centre of the movement was Lalgarh, it was spread across 19 police stations in three adjoining districts – Paschim Medinipur, Bankura and Purulia, all thickly forested and near the border with Jharkhand. The deployment of CRPF and other forces started on 11 June 2009. The movement came to an end after the 2011 state assembly elections and change of government in West Bengal. The death of Kishenji, the Maoist commander, on 24 November 2011 was the last major landmark.
Geography
Manbazar is located at 23°03′41″N 86°39′51″E.
Manbazar I CD Block is located in the eastern part of the district. The Kangsabati River flows through the CD Block in to the Kangsabati Reservoir. The lower Kangsabati basin has degraded lowlands.
Manbazar I CD Block is bounded by Puncha CD Block on the north, Hirbandh CD Block, in Bankura district, on the east, Manbazar II CD Block on the south and Barabazar CD Block on the west.
It is located 51 km from Purulia, the district headquarters.
Manbazar I CD Block has an area of 381.32 km2. It has 1 panchayat samity, 10 gram panchayats, 114 gram sansads, 244 mouzas, 219 inhabited villages and 1 census town. Manbazar, Kenda (partly) and Puncha (partly) police stations serve this block.Headquarters of this CD Block are at Manbazar.
The Kangsabati Project has submerged large areas of Purulia District in the Manbazar area.
Gram panchayats of Manbazar I block/ panchayat samiti are: Baramasya-Ramnagar, Bamni-Majhihira, Bhalubasa, Bisri, Chandra-Pairachali, Dhanara, Gopalnagar, Jitjuri, Kamta-Jangidiri and Manbazar.
Population
As per the 2011 Census of India Manbazar I CD Block had a total population of 154,071, of which 144,550 were rural and 9,521 were urban. There were 78,039 (51%) males and 76,032 (49%) females. Population below 6 years was 19,777. Scheduled Castes numbered 34,575 (22.44%) and Scheduled Tribes numbered 33,942 (22.03%).
As per 2001 census, Manbazar I block had a total population of 127,609, out of which 64,310 were males and 63,299 were females. Manbazar I block registered a population growth of 8.56 per cent during the 1991-2001 decade. Decadal growth for Purulia district was 13.96 per cent. Decadal growth in West Bengal was 17.84 per cent.
Census Towns in Manbazar I CD Block are (2011 census figures in brackets): Manbazar (9,521).
Large villages (with 4,000+ population) in Manbazar I CD Block are (2011 census figures in brackets): Jitujori (4,339).
Other villages in Manbazar I CD Block are (2011 census figures in brackets): Kenda (3,803), Bhalubasa (2,789), Bamni (2,481), Majhihira (2,104), Jangidiri (1,151), Kamta (1,783), Chandra (1,172), Payrachali (1,668), Barmesya (1,169) and Ramnagar (1,103).
Literacy
As per the 2011 census the total number of literates in Manbazar I CD Block was 85,654 (63.78% of the population over 6 years) out of which males numbered 52,481 (77.35% of the male population over 6 years) and females numbered 32,813 (49.38%) of the female population over 6 years). The gender disparity (the difference between female and male literacy rates) was 27.97%.
See also – List of West Bengal districts ranked by literacy rate
Languages and religions
Bengali is the local language in these areas.
There is a tribal presence in many of the CD Blocks of the district. Santali was spoken by around 14% of the population of the earlier Manbhum district. Some people also speak Mundari or Kolarian languages such as Kurmali, Mundari and the languages of the Bhumij or Mahli.
In the 2011 census Hindus numbered 131,921 and formed 85.62% of the population in Manbazar I CD Block. Muslims numbered 4,719 and formed 3.06% of the population. Christians numbered 173 and formed 0.11% of the population. Others numbered 17,258 and formed 11.21% 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.
Infrastructure
217 mouzas in Manbazar I CD Block were electrified by 31 March 2014.
Agriculture
In 2013-14, persons engaged in agriculture in Manbazar ICD Block could be classified as follows: bargadars 0.25%, patta (document) holders 3.78%, small farmers (possessing land between 1 and 2 hectares) 6.16%, marginal farmers (possessing land up to 1 hectare) 30.46% and agricultural labourers 59.35%.
In 2013-14, the total area irrigated in Manbazar I CD Block was 7,475.94 hectares, out of which 6,570.72 hectares were by tank water, 40.92 hectares by river lift irrigation, 213.60 hectares by open dug wells and 651.00 hectares by other means.
In 2013-14, Manbazar I CD Block produced 3,542 tonnes of Aman paddy, the main winter crop, from 1,740 hectares, 268 tonnes of wheat from 137 hectares, 346 tonnes of maize from 194 hectares and 6,111 tonnes of potato from 217 hectares. It also produced mustard and til.
Banking
In 2013-14, Manbazar I CD Block had offices of 2 commercial banks and 4 gramin banks.
Transport
In 2013-14, Manbazar I CD Block had 1 ferry service, 6 originating/ terminating bus routes. The nearest railway station was 55 km from the CD Block headquarters.
SH 4 running from Jhalda (in Purulia district) to Digha (in Purba Medinipur district) and State Highway 5 (West Bengal) running from Rupnarayanpur (in Bardhaman district) to Junput (in Purba Medinipur district) passes through this block.
Education
In 2013-14, Manbazar I CD Block had 197 primary schools with 14,017 students, 22 middle schools with 978 students, 3 high schools with 1,289 students and 14 higher secondary schools with 15,248 students. Manbazar I CD Block had 1 general college with 1,855 students, 1 professional/ technical institution with 94 students and 273 institutions with 8,925 students for special and non-formal education.
Culture
The ruins of a 12th/13th century Buudheswara Shiva and other temples lie at Budhpur, under Manbazar Police Station, 6 km (3.7 mi) north of Manbazar town on the road to Hura, on the north bank of the Kangsabati River (locally known as Kasai).
Healthcare
In 2014, Manbazar I CD Block had 1 rural hospital and 2 primary health centres, with total 54 beds and 9 doctors. 8,695 patients were treated indoor and 243,730 patients were treated outdoor in the health centres and subcentres of the CD Block.