Ausgram II is a

community development block In India, a Community development block (CD block) or simply Block is a sub-division of Tehsil, administratively earmarked for planning and development. The area is administered by a Block Development Officer (BDO), supported by several techni ...

that forms an administrative division in

Bardhaman Sadar North subdivision Bardhaman Sadar North subdivision is an administrative subdivision of the Purba Bardhaman district in the state of West Bengal, India. Overview The uneven laterite territory found in the western part of Paschim Bardhaman district extends up to ...

Purba Bardhaman district Purba Bardhaman district is in West Bengal. Its headquarters is in Bardhaman. It was formed on 7 April 2017 after the division of the previous Bardhaman district. Great revolutionary Rash Behari Bose was born in village Subaldaha in the district ...

in the

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

West Bengal West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fou ...

History

Pandu Rajar Dhibi

In 1962, excavation were initiated at Rajpotadanga village, near the southern bank of the

Ajay River Ajay (/ˈədʒɑɪ/) is a river which flows through the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. The catchment area of Ajay River is . See also List of rivers of India This is a list of rivers of India, starting in the west and movin ...

in the area and it was extended in 1965. The excavations at

Pandu Rajar Dhibi Pandu Rajar Dhibi in the valley of the river Ajay is an Archaeological site in Ausgram II block in the Sadar North subdivision of Purba Bardhaman district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It was the first Chalcolithic site discovered in W ...

have revealed the traces of a 3,500-year-old civilisation similar to that of Harappa-

Mohenjo-daro Mohenjo-daro (; sd, موئن جو دڙو'', ''meaning 'Mound of the Dead Men';Minoan civilization of

Crete Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, ...

. The excavated items have been added to the collection of the State Archaeological Gallery. Further excavations were carried out in 1985 by the state department of archaeology. The main mound at

is associated with King Pandu mentioned in

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the s ...

. The 1985 excavation has clearly shown that there were six periods of occupation at the sites. There were two main periods – the

Chalcolithic The Copper Age, also called the Chalcolithic (; from grc-gre, χαλκός ''khalkós'', "copper" and ''líthos'', "stone") or (A)eneolithic (from Latin '' aeneus'' "of copper"), is an archaeological period characterized by regular ...

period around 1600 BC – 750 BC, and the

Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age ( Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age ( Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostl ...

. The excavation at

has provided evidence for the gradual growth of a Chalcolithic culture and its displacement by iron-using people.

Medieval history

The area between the Damodar and Ajay was known as Gopbhum, where the Sadgope kings ruled for many centuries, prior to the advent of the Muslims. The Sura kings also occupy a somewhat mythical position in the region. Adi Sura of this dynasty is credited with having brought the five Brahmins and Kayasthas (two important upper castes in Bengal) from

Kannauj Kannauj ( Hindustani pronunciation: ənːɔːd͡ʒ is a city, administrative headquarters and a municipal board or Nagar Palika Parishad in Kannauj district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The city's name is a corrupted form of the class ...

in what is now Uttar Pradesh.Around the 11th century, King Mahindranath ruled from his fort at

Amrargar Amarargar (more appropriately Amragarh, as per the Bengali spelling) is a village in Ausgram II CD block in Bardhaman Sadar North subdivision of Purba Bardhaman district in the state of West Bengal, India. History Around the 11th century, King ...

. One can see the elementary remains of the foundation of a fort. In the 18th century the area faced massive attacks of the

Bargi Bargis were a light cavalry mercenary group of Maratha Empire's who indulged in large scale plundering of the countryside of western part of Bengal for about ten years (1741–1751) during the Maratha invasions of Bengal. Maratha invasions too ...

warriors.

Movements

This being a canal-irrigated area it had faced agitations against the imposition of taxes for canal water. Damage to embankments of the Ajay and consequent flooding was a regular problem in the Ausgram and Mangalkot area. The devastating flood of 1943 caused immense suffering and lead to a mass movement for restoration/ repair of the embankments. A massive meeting was organised at

Guskara Guskara is a town and a municipality under the Ausgram police station in Bardhaman Sadar North subdivision of Purba Bardhaman district in the Indian state of West Bengal. History The area between the Damodar and Ajay was previously known ...

in 1944, with Uday Chand Mahtab, Maharaja of Bardhaman. However, the government did not take any action,. Ultimately, the Communist Party, which had been at the forefront of agitations for some years, provided a huge work force for the purpose and completed the repair work. It laid the foundation for the party's popularity in the area.

Geography

Location

Ausgram II CD Block is part of the Kanksa Ketugram plain, which lies along the Ajay. The river forms a boundary with Birbhum district on the north for a long stretch and then flows through district. The uneven laterite territory found in the western part of Bardhaman district extends up to Ausgram and then the alluvial flood plains commence. The entire

Durgapur Durgapur () is a planned tier-II urban agglomeration and a major industrial city in Paschim Bardhaman district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the fourth largest urban agglomeration after Kolkata, Asansol and Siliguri in West Benga ...

Kanksa Kanksa is a census town and a gram panchayat in the Kanksa CD block in the Durgapur subdivision of the Paschim Bardhaman district in the Indian state of West Bengal. History As per Peterson’s District Gazeteer of 1910, the south-western ...

- Faridpur-Ausgram area was densely forested even in more recent times. The influx of refugees from East Pakistan and their rehabilitation in the area, and the irrigation facilities extended by

Damodar Valley Corporation Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) is a government-owned power generator which operates in the Damodar River area of West Bengal and Jharkhand states of India. The statutory corporation operates both thermal power stations and hydel power sta ...

led to destruction of much of the forests in the area, but some still remain. Ausgram II CD Block is bounded by

Ilambazar Ilambazar is a census town, with a police station, in Ilambazar CD block in Bolpur subdivision of Birbhum district in the Indian state of West Bengal. A traditional weaving and trading centre it serves as a gateway to Birbhum district. Histor ...

and Bolpur Sriniketan CD Blocks, in Birbhum district, on the north,

Ausgram I Ausgram 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. History Medieval history The area between the Damodar and Ajay w ...

CD Block on the east,

Galsi I Galsi 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 Bud Bud, a constituent gram panchayat in Gal ...

CD Block on the south and

CD Block on the west. Ausgram II CD Block has an area of 360.45 km². It has 1 panchayat samity, 7

gram panchayat Gram Panchayat () is a basic village-governing institute in Indian villages. It is a democratic structure at the grass-roots level in India. It is a political institute, acting as cabinet of the village. The Gram Sabha work as the general bo ...

s, 113 gram sansads (village councils), 106 mouzas and 102 inhabited villages. Aushgram and Bud Bud police stations serve this block. Headquarters of this CD Block is at

. With water from several small streams swelling it during the monsoons,

Kunur River Kunur River, one of the main tributaries of the Ajay, in length, has its origin near Bansgara in the Faridpur police station area. With water from several small streams swelling it during the monsoons, it often floods large areas of the Ausgr ...

often floods large areas of Ausgram and

Mangalkot Mongalkote is a village in Mongalkote CD block in Katwa subdivision of Purba Bardhaman district in the state of West Bengal, India. History Mongalkote is an ancient place. In the Jataka tale (around 4th century BC) '' Vessantara'', the capita ...

police station areas. Ramnabagan Wildlife Sanctuary, established in 1981 and covering an area of 0.14 km² forms a part of Ausgram II block.

Gram panchayat Gram Panchayat () is a basic village-governing institute in Indian villages. It is a democratic structure at the grass-roots level in India. It is a political institute, acting as cabinet of the village. The Gram Sabha work as the general bo ...

s of Ausgram II block/

panchayat samiti Panchayat samiti is a rural local government (panchayat) body at the intermediate tehsil (taluka/mandal) 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 ...

are: Amarpur, Balki, Bhedia, Debsala, Eral, Kota and Ramnagar.

Demographics

Population

As per the

2011 Census of India The 2011 Census of India or the 15th Indian Census was conducted in two phases, house listing and population enumeration. The House listing phase began on 1 April 2010 and involved the collection of information about all buildings. Information ...

Ausgram II CD Block had a total population of 150,896, all of which were rural. There were 77,184 (51%) males and 73,712 (49%) females. Population below 6 years was 17,204.

Scheduled Castes The Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) are officially designated groups of people and among the most disadvantaged socio-economic groups in India. The terms are recognized in the Constitution of India and the groups are designa ...

numbered 57,141 (37.87%) and Scheduled Tribes numbered 21,759 (14.42%). census, Ausgram II block had a total population of 136,235, out of which 69,913 were males and 66,322 were females. Ausgram II block registered a population growth of 14.46 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 The Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) are officially designated groups of people and among the most disadvantaged socio-economic groups in India. The terms are recognized in the Constitution of India and the groups are designa ...

at 54,111 formed around one-third the population. Scheduled tribes numbered 19,355. Large villages (with 4,000+ population) in Ausgram II CD Block are (2011 census figures in brackets): Debshala (4,090), Kota Chandipur (5,177), Chhora (6,145), Pubar (4,167), Amragar (4,397), Eral (4,612), Sar (4,317) and Bhedia (5,882). Other villages in Ausgram II CD Block included (2011census figures in brackets): Amarpur (1,721), Ramnagar (1,480), Bhalki (2,997), Abhirampur, Aduria, Akulia, Amrargar, Aogram, Arjuri, Babuisol, Bagbati, Bahadurpur, Baksibad Pogram, Balarambati, Balarampur, Banktara, Bankul, Baradoba, Bhatkunda, Bhiti, Bhuyera, Bijyapur, Bilaspur, Bilshanda, Bishnupur, Brahmandihi, Budra, Chak Piariganj, Chak Radhamohanpur, Chak Tilang, Chandipur, Chandradwip, Chhora, Chhota Ramchandrapur, Raikona, Debshala, Dhantor, Dharala, Dhonkora, Dombandi, Eral, Genrai, Gobindapur, Gohalara, Gopalmath, Gopalpota, Gopalpur, Goswami Kanda Mullikpur, Harinarayanpur, Harinathpur, Harishpur, Hodogarya, Jalalpur, Jalikandar, Jamtara, Jayrampur, Jinjira, Kakra, Kalaijhuti, Khandari, Khatnagar, Khorda Dwariapur, Kota Chandipur, Kuldiha, Kural, Kantatikuri, Lachminarayanpur, Lakshminarayanpur Chak, Madanmohonpur, Majuria, Malacha,

Maliara Maliara is a village in Barjora (community development block) in Bankura district of West Bengal State, India. It belongs to Burdwan Division. Geography Maliara is located at . It is located 38 km towards north of district headquarter Ba ...

, Maukhira, Mokota, Nawapara, Nrisinhapur, Paduma, Panch Mahali, Panduk, Parisha, Pashchim Chandipur, Phanrijangal, Pondali, Pratappur, Premganja, Pubar, Purucha, Radhaballabhpur, Radhamohanpur, Raghunathpur, Ramharipur, Ramnagar (Uttar), Ramnagar Chak, Rangakhila, Reora, Salko, Samantapara, Satla, Shiuli, Shrichandrapur, Shyamsundarpur, Sonai, Sonaiaima, Sonaiaima Purba, Suata and Tilang.

Literacy

As per the 2011 census the total number of literates in Ausgram II CD Block was 90,916 (68.00% of the population over 6 years) out of which males numbered 51,580 (75.26% of the male population over 6 years) and females numbered 39,336 (60.37% of the female population over 6 years). The

gender disparity Sex differences in humans have been studied in a variety of fields. Sex determination occurs by the presence or absence of a Y in the 23rd pair of chromosomes in the human genome. Phenotypic sex refers to an individual's sex as determined by the ...

(the difference between female and male literacy rates) was 14.89%. As per 2001 census, Ausgram II block had a total literacy of 62.53% for the 6+ age group. While male literacy was 72.80% female literacy was 51.69 per cent. Bardhaman district had a total literacy of 70.18%, male literacy being 78.63% and female literacy being 60.95&. See also – List of West Bengal districts ranked by literacy rate

Languages and religion

As per census definition, mother-tongue is the language spoken in childhood by the person's mother to the person. As a mother-tongue,

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...

has decreased its share from 82.3% of the population of Bardhaman district in 1961 to 79.9% in 2001,

Hindi Hindi ( Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been ...

has increased its share from 8.5% in 1961 to 10.9% in 2001 Santali has remained steady at around 4.9% during the period, and

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
'' below poverty line Below Poverty Line is a benchmark used by the government of India to indicate economic disadvantage and to identify individuals and households in need of government assistance and aid. It is determined using various parameters which vary from s ...

in 2005, rural poverty in Ausgram II CD Block was 44.85%.

Economy

Livelihood

In Ausgram II CD Block in 2011, amongst the class of total workers, cultivators formed 16.18%, agricultural labourers 59.19%, household industry workers 5.13% and other workers 19.50%. In Ausgram II CD Block, cultivators or agricultural labourers formed a large proportion of the workforce, comparatively less workers were engaged in the secondary and tertiary sectors.

Infrastructure

There are 102 inhabited villages in Ausgram II CD block. 102 villages (100%) have power supply. 102 villages (100%) have drinking water supply. 27 villages (26.47%) have post offices. 96 villages (94.12%) have telephones (including landlines, public call offices and mobile phones). 39 villages (38.24%) have a pucca (paved) approach road and 60 villages (58.82%) have transport communication (includes bus service, rail facility and navigable waterways). 22 villages (21.57%) have agricultural credit societies. 9 villages (8.82%) have banks. In 2013-14, there were 44 fertiliser depots, 1 seed stores and 36 fair price shops in the CD Block.

Agriculture

Although the Bargadari Act of 1950 recognised the rights of

bargadar Sharecropping is a legal arrangement with regard to agricultural land in which a landowner allows a tenant to use the land in return for a share of the crops produced on that land. Sharecropping has a long history and there are a wide range ...

s to a higher share of crops from the land that they tilled, it was not implemented fully. Large tracts, beyond the prescribed limit of land ceiling, remained with the rich landlords. From 1977 onwards major land reforms took place in West Bengal. Land in excess of land ceiling was acquired and distributed amongst the peasants. Following

land reforms Land reform is a form of agrarian reform involving the changing of laws, regulations, or customs regarding land ownership. Land reform may consist of a government-initiated or government-backed property redistribution, generally of agricultural ...

land ownership pattern has undergone transformation. In 2013-14, persons engaged in agriculture in Ausgram II CD Block could be classified as follows:

s 8.04%, patta (document) holders 17.93%, small farmers (possessing land between 1 and 2 hectares) 4.03%, marginal farmers (possessing land up to 1 hectare) 13.49% and agricultural labourers 56.51%. In 2003-04 net cropped area in Ausgram II CD Block was 22,705 hectares and the area in which more than one crop was grown was 7,455 hectares. In 2013-14, Ausgram II CD Block produced 65,031 tonnes of Aman paddy, the main winter crop from 21,982 hectares, 4,821 tonnes of Boro paddy (spring crop) from 1,462 hectares, 538 tonnes of wheat from 200 hectares and 6,640 tonnes of potatoes from 539 hectares. It also produced pulses and oilseeds. In Bardhaman district as a whole Aman paddy constituted 64.32% of the total area under paddy cultivation, while the area under Boro and Aus paddy constituted 32.87% and 2.81% respectively. The expansion of Boro paddy cultivation, with higher yield rates, was the result of expansion of irrigation system and intensive cropping. In 2013-14, the total area irrigated in Ausgram II CD Block was 11,968.93 hectares, out of which 11,593.64 hectares were irrigated by canal water, 229.71 hectares by river lift irrigation and 145.58 hectares by deep tube wells.

Banking

In 2013-14, Ausgram II CD Block had offices of 6 commercial banks and 4 gramin banks.

Transport

Ausgram II CD Block has 8 originating/ terminating bus routes. The Khana-Barharwa section of

Sahibganj Loop The Sahibganj loop is a railway line connecting Khana Junction and Kiul Junction. Originally a part of the Howrah–Delhi main line, it was opened to traffic in 1866. With the construction of a shorter railway line for a part of the route, the ...

passes through the CD Block and there is a station at Bhedia.

Education

In 2013-14, Ausgram II CD Block had 133 primary schools with 8,691 students, 7 middle schools with 469 students, 15 high school with 8,049 students and 6 higher secondary schools with 6,560 students. Ausgram II CD Block had 343 institutions for special and non-formal education with 12,025 students As per the 2011 census, in Ausgram II CD block, amongst the 102 inhabited villages, 5 villages did not have a school, 52 villages had two or more primary schools, 37 villages had at least 1 primary and 1 middle school and 25 villages had at least 1 middle and 1 secondary school. More than 6,000 schools (in erstwhile Bardhaman district) serve cooked midday meal to more than 900,000 students.

Healthcare

In 2014, Ausgram II CD Block had 1 block primary health centre and 5 primary health centres with total 39 beds and 7 doctors (excluding private bodies). It had 20 family welfare subcentres. 2,570 patients were treated indoor and 241,627 patients were treated outdoor in the hospitals, health centres and subcentres of the CD Block. Jamtara block primary health centre at Jamtara, PO Amragar (with 15 beds) is the main medical facility in Ausgram II CD block. There are primary health centres at Amarpur PO Aduria (with 6 beds), Bahadurpur, PO Abhirampur (with 4 beds), Bhatkunda (with 4 beds), Bhedia (with 10 beds) and Ramnagar (with 6 beds).

External links

District map showing blocks

References

{{Purba Bardhaman topics Community development blocks in Purba Bardhaman district