Community development block in India

The Community development block (C.D.Block; Hindi: सामुदायिक विकास खंड) is a rural area earmarked for rural development administration in India.[1] The area is administered by a Block Development Officer, supported by several technical specialists and village level workers.[2] 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, 101 subdivions(sub-districts) and 534 C.D. Blocks.[3] West Bengal has 18 districts and 341 development blocks.[4]

History

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.[5] Based on the GMF Enquiry 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.[6] 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.[7]

States with Blocks (3rd level administration)

State C.D.Block Number of
C.D.Blocks
MeghalayaC.D.Block39
MizoramC.D.Block22
BiharBlocks in Bihar534
JharkhandC.D.Block263[8]
TripuraC.D.Block58
UttarakhandC.D.Block95
West BengalC.D.Block341

See also

References

  1. ↑ Maheshwari, Shriram. "Rural Development and Bureaucracy in India". The Indian Journal of Public Administration. Vol XXX No. 3: 1093–1100.
  2. ↑ Sharma, Shailendra D. (1999). Development and Democracy in India. Boulder, Colorado: Lynne Rienner Publishers, Inc.
  3. ↑ "Administration of Bihar".
  4. ↑ http://www.wbprd.gov.in/HtmlPage/intro.aspx
  5. ↑ Report of The Grow More Food Enquiry Committee. Government of India Ministry of Food and Agriculture. 1952.
  6. ↑ "First Five Year Plan". Planning Commission. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  7. ↑ "The Failure of the Community Development Programme in India". Retrieved 2010-04-06.
  8. ↑ "Names of Blocks of Jharkhand". Jharkhandi Baba. 2017-10-21. Retrieved 2017-10-21.
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