Community development block in India

The Community development block (Hindi: सामुदायिक विकास खंड) is a rural area earmarked for administration and development in India. The area is administered by a Block Development Officer. A community development block covers several gram panchayats, local administrative unit at the village level.

History

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. 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.^[1]

References

1. ^ "The Failure of the Community Development Programme in India". http://cdj.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/pdf_extract/11/2/95. Retrieved 2010-04-06.