Salboni (community development block)

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 Pashim Medinipur, Bankura, Purulia and Birbhum are part of the Red corridor. However, as of July 2016, there has been no reported incidents of Maoist related activities from these districts for the previous 4 years.[1] In the period 2009-2011 LWE violence resulted in more than 500 deaths and a similar number missing in Paschim Medinipur district. [2]

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.[3] 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.[3][4]

From 2009 Maoist violence had rapidly spread across eleven western CD blocks of the district: Binpur I, Binpur II, Salboni, Grahbeta II, Jamboni, Jhargram, Midnapore Sadar, Gopiballavpur I, Gopiballavpur II, Sankrail and Nayagram.[5]

According to the 2011 Census of India Salbani CD block had a total population of 188,653, all of which were rural. There were 95,195 (50.46%) males and 93,458 (49.54%) females. Population in the age range 0-6 years was 23,070. Scheduled Castes numbered 35,095 (18.61%) and Scheduled Tribes numbered 32,771 (17.38%).[11]

As per the 2001 census, Salboni block had a total population of 165,193, out of which 84,247 were males and 80,946 were females. Salboni block registered a population growth of 16.71 per cent during the 1991-2001 decade. Decadal growth for the combined Midnapore district was 14.87 per cent.[12] Decadal growth in West Bengal was 17.45 per cent.[13]

Villages in Salbani CD block include (2011 census figures in brackets): Salboni (3,963), Bankibandh (1,125), Bishnupur (1,639), Kashijora (1,409), Garmal (1,324), Satpati (2,360), Lalgere (1,099), Debagram (1,402) and Karnagarh (2,812).[11]

According to the 2011 census the total number of literates persons in Salbani CD block was 123,974 (74.87% of the population over 6 years) out of which males numbered 69,299 (82.89% of the male population over 6 years) and females numbered 54,675 (66.70% of the female population over 6 years). The gender gap in literacy rates was 16.19%.[11]

See also – List of West Bengal districts ranked by literacy rate

According to the District Census Handbook, Paschim Medinipur, 2011 census, as of 2001, Bengali was the mother-tongue of 90.5% of the population of Paschim Medinipur district, followed by Santali (4.6%), Hindi (1.4%), Kurmali Thar (0.7%), Urdu (0.6%), Telugu (0.6%), Odia (0.4%), Mundari (0.2%), Koda/ Kora (0.1%), Munda (0.1%) and Nepali (0.1%). There were people, forming lesser proportion of population, having other languages as mother-tongue. People with other mother-tongues formed 0.7% of the population.[14]

There is a tribal presence in many of the CD blocks of the district. Santali is spoken by 55.93% of the tribal population of the district. The Bhumij, forming 11.16% of the tribal population, and the Mundas, forming 6.10% of the tribal population, speak Mundari. Other small groups include Koras and Mahalis. The Lodhas, forming 3.85% of the tribal population, the only primitive tribe in the district, speak Lodhi.[15]

According to the West Bengal Official Language Act 1961 and the West Bengal Official Language (Amendment Act) 2012, the Bengali language is to be used for official purposes in the whole of West Bengal. In addition to Bengali, the Nepali language is to be used for official purposes in the three hills subdivisions, namely Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong, in the district of Darjeeling, and Urdu is to be used for official purposes in district/subdivision/ block/ municipality where the population speaking Urdu exceeds 10% of the total population. The English language will continue to be used for official purposes as it was being used prior to the enactment of these laws.[16][17][18][19]

The West Bengal Official Language (Second Amendment) Bill, 2012, included Hindi, Santhali, Odiya and Punjabi as official languages if it is spoken by a population exceeding 10 per cent of the whole in a particular block or sub-division or a district. Subsequently, Kamtapuri, Rajbanshi and Kurmali were also included in the list of minority languages by the West Bengal Official Language (Second Amendment) Bill, 2018.[20][21]However, as of 2020, there is no official / other reliable information about the areas covered. Census 2011 provides language data only at the district and above level.

In the 2011 census Hindus numbered 168,863 and formed 89.51% of the population in Salboni CD block. Muslims numbered 6,000 and formed 3.18% of the population. Others numbered 13,790 and formed 7.31% of the population.[22] Others include Addi Bassi, Marang Boro, Santal, Saranath, Sari Dharma, Sarna, Alchchi, Bidin, Sant, Saevdharm, Seran, Saran, Sarin, Kheria,[23] Christians and other religious communities.[22] Christians numbered 654 and formed 0.35% of the population.[22]

409 or 77% of mouzas in Salboni CD block were electrified by 31 March 2014.[25]

409 mouzas in Salboni CD block had drinking water facilities in 2013-14. There were 95 fertiliser depots, 37 seed stores and 48 fair price shops in the CD block.[25]

JSW Steel Ltd signed a memorandum of agreement with the Government of West Bengal, on 11 January 2007 for setting up a steel plant at Salboni. The first phase of the proposed 10 million tonnes per annum steel plant was to have a capacity of 3 million tonnes per annuum and was scheduled to be completed in the succeeding four years. The state government agreed to provide 4,300 acres of land on lease.[26][27] The project was delayed for various reasons and issues like land and water were sorted out. On 28 April 2013, the company made it clear that it was not going to move any further without sorting out the issue of supply of iron ore for the steel plant. The company does not have any captive iron ore mines. Additionally there are some problems with coal supplies and a global over production of steel. The steel plant was officially put on hold in December 2014.[28][29][30]

Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran Private Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Reserve Bank of India, has note printing presses at Salboni and Mysore with a capacity of 16 billion note pieces per year.[31]

OCL India Ltd. (Dalmia Group) commissioned its cement grinding unit at Salboni in 2014.[32] The plant is at Kilapachuria village near Godapiasal.[33]

JSW Cement, had proposed construction of a 2.5 million tonnes slag based cement plant at Salboni. It was initially a part of the now stalled steel project. It proposes to utilise only 135 acres of land for the cement plant and is only a small portion of the land it has been holding since 2008. The land is near Godapiasal Forest.[30]

A Rs. 800 crore project, 2.4 million tonnes per year cement plant of JSW was inaugurated by Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister of West Bengal, in January 2018.[34][35]

Although the Bargadari Act of 1950 recognised the rights of bargadars 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.[36] Following land reforms land ownership pattern has undergone transformation. In 2013-14, persons engaged in agriculture in Salboni CD block could be classified as follows: bargadars 10.54%, patta (document) holders 30.72%, small farmers (possessing land between 1 and 2 hectares) 2.91%, marginal farmers (possessing land up to 1 hectare) 19.61% and agricultural labourers 36.22%.[25]

In 2005-06 the nett cropped area in Salboni CD block was 17,572 hectares and the area in which more than one crop was grown was 12,427 hectares.[37]

The extension of irrigation has played a role in growth of the predominantly agricultural economy.[38] In 2013-14, the total area irrigated in Salboni CD block was 11,910 hectares, out of which 1,450 hectares were irrigated by canal water, 2,325 hectares by tank water, 960 hectares by deep tubewells, 2,600 hectares by shallow tube wells, 300 hectares by river lift irrigation, 1,375 hectares by open dug wells and 2,900 hectares by other methods.[25]

In 2013-14, Salboni CD block produced 37,047 tonnes of Aman paddy, the main winter crop, from 21,161 hectares, 10,185 tonnes of Aus paddy (summer crop) from 4,000 hectares, 3,139 tonnes of Boro paddy (spring crop) from 929 hectares, 2,019 tonnes of wheat from 667 hectares and 33,776 tonnes of potatoes from 2,471 hectares. It also produced oilseeds.[25]

In 2013-14, Salboni CD block had offices of 15 commercial banks and 1 gramin bank.[25]