Arambag subdivision is a rural dominated area. All the blocks in the subdivision have their entire population living in the rural areas. Arambaghmunicipality is the only urban area in the entire subdivision. A major portion of the subdivision is part of the Dwarakeswar-Damodar inter-riverine plain with alluvial soil. Only a small portion in the western fringe of the subdivision is upland. The entire area is a part of the Gangetic Delta.[1][2]
History
Arambagh subdivision was formed in 1819. It was earlier known as Jahanabad. On 19 April 1900 the name of Jahanabad was changed to Arambagh, which means "the garden of ease and comfort". Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay was in-charge of the subdivision in its earlier days.[3] The ruins of a fort at Gar Mandaran provided the setting for Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay's novel Durgeshnandini, published in 1865.[4]
Subdivisions
The Hooghly district is divided into the following administrative subdivisions:[5]
Cities and towns in Arambagh subdivision in Hooghly district M: municipal city/ town, R: rural/ urban centre, H: historical/ religious centre Owing to space constraints in the small map, the actual locations in a larger map may vary slightly
Administrative units
Arambag subdivision has 4 police stations, 6 community development blocks, 6 panchayat samitis, 63 gram panchayats, 567 mouzas, 554 inhabited villages and 1 municipality. The single municipality is at Arambag. The subdivision has its headquarters at Arambag.[6][7]
Khanakul I block consists of 13 gram panchayats, viz. Arunda, Khanakul–II, Pole–II, Thakuranichak, Balipur, Kishorepur–I, Rammohan–I, Ghoshpur, Kishorepur–II, Rammohan–II, Khanakul–I, Pole–I and Tantisal.
Khanakul II block consists of 11 gram panchayats, viz. Chingra, Marokhana, Palashpai–I, Rajhati–II, Dhanyagori, Natibpur–I, Palashpai–II, Sabalsinghapur, Jagatpur, Natibpur–II and Rajhati–I.
Goghat I block consists of seven gram panchayats, viz. Bali, Goghat, Nakunda, Saora, Bhadur, Kumarsa and Raghubati.
Goghat II block consists of nine gram panchayats, viz. Badanganj–Falui–I, Hazipur, Mandaran, Badanganj–Falui–II, Kamarpukur, Paschimpara, Bengai, Kumarganj and Shyambazar.
Pursurah block consists of eight gram panchayats, viz. Bhangamora, Dihibadpur, Pursurah–I, Shyampur, Chiladangi, Kelepara, Pursurah–II and Sreerampur.
Police stations
Police stations in Arambag subdivision have the following jurisdiction:[9][10]
Arambagh Hatcheries Ltd. is a poultry and egg related industry based at Arambag. It was incorporated in 1973.[12]
Agriculture
Hooghly is an agriculturally prosperous district of West Bengal. Although the economy has been shifting away from agriculture, it is still the pre-dominant economic activity and the main source of livelihood for the rural people of the district. One third of the district income comes from agriculture.[13] Given below is an overview of the agricultural production (all data in tonnes) for Arambagh subdivision, other subdivisions and the Hooghly district, with data for the year 2013–14.[14]
Hooghly district had a literacy rate of 81.80% as per the provisional figures of the census of India 2011. Chinsurah subdivision had a literacy rate of 79.17%, Chandannagore subdivision 83.01%, Srirampore subdivision 86.13% and Arambag subdivision 79.05.
[16]
Given in the table below (data in numbers) is a comprehensive picture of the education scenario in Hooghly district for the year 2013-14:[16]
Note: Primary schools include junior basic schools; middle schools, high schools and higher secondary schools include madrasahs; technical schools include junior technical schools, junior government polytechnics, industrial technical institutes, industrial training centres, nursing training institutes etc.; technical and professional colleges include engineering colleges, medical colleges, para-medical institutes, management colleges, teachers training and nursing training colleges, law colleges, art colleges, music colleges etc. Special and non-formal education centres include sishu siksha kendras, madhyamik siksha kendras, centres of Rabindra mukta vidyalaya, recognised Sanskrit tols, institutions for the blind and other handicapped persons, Anganwadi centres, reformatory schools etc.[16]
The following institutions are located in Arambagh subdivision:
The table below (all data in numbers) presents an overview of the medical facilities available and patients treated in the hospitals, health centres and sub-centres in 2014 in Hooghly district.[23]
Medical facilities in Arambagh subdivision are as follows: Hospital: (Name, location, beds)[24]
Arambagh Subdivisonal Hospital, Arambagh Municipality, 250 beds.
Rural Hospitals: (Name, block, location, beds) [24]
Akri Shrirampur Rural Hospital, Pursurah CD Block, Akri Shrirampur, 30 bed.
Khanakul Rural Hospital, Khanakul I CD Block, Khanakul, 60 beds.
Natibpur Rural Hospital, Khanakul II CD Block, Natibpur, 30 beds.
Dakshin Narayanpur Rural Hospital, Arambagh CD Block, Dakshin Narayanpur, 30 beds.
Kamarpukur Rural Hospital, Goghat II CD Block, Kamarpukur, 60 beds.
Goghat Block Primary Health Centre, Goghat I CD Block, Goghat, 10 beds.
Primary Health Centres (CD Block-wise)(CD Block, PHC name/location, beds)[24]
Arambagh CD Block: Malaypur, PO Keshabpur, (10 beds), Selepur, PO Chuadanga (10 beds), Muthadanga, PO Mayapur (10 beds), Dihibagnan (4 beds).
Goghat I CD Block: Nakunda (6 beds).
Goghat II CD Block: Jitarpur, PO Bhuskunda (2 beds), Taraghat (10 beds), Badanganj (2 beds).
Khanakul I CD Block: Ghoshpur, PO Pilkhan (10 beds), Tantisal (10 beds), Harimohan Golap Sundari, PO Raghunathpur (4 beds).
Khanakul II CD Block: Sabalsinghpur (10 beds), Morakhana (2 beds), Ramchandrapur (6 beds)
Pursurah CD Block: Fatepur, PO Parshyampur (4 beds), Dihibatpur, PO Alati (10 beds).
Electoral constituencies
Lok Sabha (parliamentary) and Vidhan Sabha (state assembly) constituencies in Arambag subdivision were as follows:[25]
Lok Sabha constituency
Reservation
Vidhan Sabha constituency
Reservation
CD Block and/or Gram panchayats and/or municipal areas
Pursurah community development block, along with Arunda, Balipur, Rammohan I, Rammohan II and Tantisal gram panchayats of Khanakul I CD Block, and Harinkhola I and Harinkhola II GPs of Arambagh CD Block
Arambag municipality, and Arandi I, Arandi II, Batanal, Gaurhati I, Gaurhati II, Madhabpur,Mayapur I, Mayapur II, Malaypur I, Malaypur II, Salepur I, Salepur II and Tirol GPs of Arambagh CD Block
Khanakul II CD Block, and Ghoshpur, Khanakul I, Khanakul II, Kishorpur I, Kishorpur II, Pole I,Pole II, Thakuranichak I, and Thakuranichak II GPs of Khanakul I CD Block
-
-
Other two assembly segments are in Chandannagore subdivision and one assembly segment is in Paschim Medinipur district
^"District Human Development Report: Hooghly"(PDF). Demographical Profile of the District , page 39. Development and Planning Department, Government of West Bengal, 2011. Archived from the original(PDF) on 7 August 2017. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
^"District Statistical Handbook 2014 Hooghly". Tables 18.1. Data for subdivisions/ district calculated by totalling the CD Block data provided. Department of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of West Bengal. Archived from the original on 21 January 2019. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
^ abc"District Statistical Handbook 2014 Hooghly". Basic data: Table 4.4, 4.5, Clarifications: other related tables. Department of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of West Bengal. Archived from the original on 21 January 2019. Retrieved 6 October 2018.