In India, a Community development block (CD block) or simply Block is a sub-division of Tehsil, administratively earmarked for planning and development. [1] In tribal areas, similar sub-divisions are called tribal development blocks (TD blocks). [2] The area is administered by a Block Development Officer (BDO), supported by several technical specialists and village-level workers. [3] A community development block covers several gram panchayats, the local administrative units at the village level.
Only in the state of West Bengal are CD blocks considered the third level administrative units, equal to tehsils in North India. Elsewhere, tehsils are also called Talukas in the Western Indian states of Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra and South Indian states of Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. In Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland, the term Circles are used, while sub-divisions are present in the Eastern Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Assam, and most of Northeast India (Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Sikkim and Tripura). In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, a newer form of administrative unit called Mandal, has replaced the Tehsil.
The state of Gujarat has a different structure, District Collector or Divisional Magistrate (DM), then Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) i.e. Deputy Collector administering two or more talukas. The sub-division is divided into taluks.
The concept of the community development block was first suggested by Grow More Food (GMF) Enquiry Committee in 1952 to address the challenge of multiple rural development agencies working without a sense of common objectives. [4] Based on the committee's recommendations, 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. [5] 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. [6]
In India, a Civil service officer of the rank of Block Development Officer (BDO) is the in-charge of a CD Block in India. BDO are usually officers of representative state-governments. BDO reports to the Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM).
State | CD Block | Number of CD Blocks |
---|---|---|
Andaman and Nicobar Islands | CD Block | 9 [7] |
Andhra Pradesh | Mandal | 685 |
Arunachal Pradesh | Block or Circle | 112 [8] |
Assam | Block | 219 [9] |
Bihar | Block | 342 |
Chandigarh | Block | 3 |
Chhattisgarh | CD Block | 342 |
Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | CD Block | 342 |
Delhi | CD Block | 342 |
Goa | CD Block | 342 |
Gujarat | CD Block | 342 |
Haryana | Block | 142 |
Himachal Pradesh | CD Block | 342 |
Jammu and Kashmir | CD Block | 342 |
Jharkhand | Block | 263 |
Karnataka | CD Block | 342 |
Kerala | Block | 152 |
Ladakh | CD Block | 342 |
Lakshadweep | CD Block | 342 |
Madhya Pradesh | CD Block | 342 |
Maharashtra | CD Block | 342 |
Manipur | CD Block | 342 |
Meghalaya | CD Block | 342 |
Mizoram | CD Block | 342 |
Nagaland | CD Block | 342 |
Odisha | CD Block | 314 |
Puducherry | CD Block | 342 |
Punjab | CD Block | 342 |
Rajasthan | CD Block | 342 |
Sikkim | CD Block | 342 |
Tamilnadu | Taluks | 220 |
Telangana | CD Block | 342 |
Tripura | CD Block | 58 |
Uttar Pradesh | CD Block | 822 [10] |
Uttarakhand | CD Block | 95 |
West Bengal | CD Block | 342 [11] [12] |
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The district magistrate, also known as the district collector or deputy commissioner, is a career civil servant who serves as the executive head of a district's administration in India. The specific name depends on the state or union territory. Each of these posts has distinct responsibilities, and an officer can assume all of these roles at once. The district magistrate is primarily responsible for maintaining law and order, while the district collector focuses on revenue administration, and the deputy commissioner is in charge of overseeing developmental activities and coordinates government departments. Additionally, they also serve as election officers, registrar, marriage officer, licensing authority, and managing disaster responses, among other things. While the specific scope of duties may vary from state to state, they are generally similar. The district magistrate comes under the general supervision of divisional commissioner.
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A sub-divisional magistrate, also known as assistant collector, sub collector, assistant commissioner, sub-divisional officer (civil), or revenue divisional officer, is an administrative officer of a sub-division within an Indian district, exercising executive, revenue, and magisterial duties. The specific name depends on the state or union territory. Their primary responsibilities include revenue collection, maintaining law and order, overseeing developmental activities and coordinating various departments within a sub-division.
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The administrative divisions of India are subnational administrative units of India; they are composed of a nested hierarchy of administrative divisions.
Panchayat samiti or block panchayat is a rural local government (panchayat) body at the intermediate tehsil (taluka/mandal) or block level in India. It works for the villages of the tehsil that together are called a development block. It has been said to be the "panchayat of panchayats".
Panchayati raj is the system of local self-government of villages in rural India as opposed to urban and suburban municipalities.
A block is an administrative division of some South Asian countries.
In Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan, a Tehsildar, Talukdar, or Mamlatdar is a land revenue officer accompanied by revenue inspectors. They are in charge of obtaining taxes from a tehsil with regard to land revenue. A tehsildar is also known as an executive magistrate of the relevant tehsil. The immediate subordinate of a tehsildar is known as a naib tehsildar.
Piro is a nagar parishad town and corresponding community development block in Bhojpur District, in the Indian state of Bihar.
Chanchal subdivision is an administrative subdivision of the Malda district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Kakdwip subdivision is an administrative subdivision of the South 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
A tehsil is a local unit of administrative division in India and Pakistan. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its administrative centre, with possible additional towns, and usually a number of villages. The terms in India have replaced earlier terms, such as pargana (pergunnah) and thana.
Harirampur is a community development block that forms an administrative division in Gangarampur subdivision of Dakshin Dinajpur district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Kumargram is a community development block that forms an administrative division in the Alipurduar subdivision of the Alipurduar district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Chandrakona II is a community development block that forms an administrative division in Ghatal subdivision of Paschim Medinipur district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Block Pramukh is a term used in India to refer to the elected head of a Panchayat Samiti or Block Panchayat. The Panchayat samiti is a tier of the Panchayati raj system. It is a rural local government body at the Tehsil (block) level in India. It works for the villages of the tehsil that together are called a development block. The Panchayat Samiti is the link between the gram panchayat and the zila parishad. There are a number of variations in the name of this institution in the various states. For example, it is known as Kshetra Panchayat in Uttar Pradesh, Mandal Parishad in Andhra Pradesh, Taluka Panchayat in Gujarat, Block Panchayat in Kerala, and Mandal Panchayat in Karnataka.