# Mekhliganj subdivision

Mekhliganj subdivision is one of five subdivisions of the Cooch Behar district in the state of West Bengal, India. It has an area of 459.78 km$^2$. As of 2011, its population was 282,750, of which 90.09% was rural and 9.91 urban.

## Subdivisions

Cooch Behar district is divided into the following administrative subdivisions:
| Subdivision | Headquarters | Area km$^2$ | Population (2011) | Rural Population % (2011) | Urban Population % (2011) |
| Mekhliganj | Mekhliganj | 459.78 | 282,750 | 90.09 | 9.91 |
| Mathabhanga | Mathabhanga | 896.26 | 654,831 | 96.35 | 3.65 |
| Cooch Behar Sadar | Cooch Behar | 754.84 | 748,394 | 77.92 | 22.08 |
| Tufanganj | Tufanganj | 586.44 | 456,319 | 93.02 | 6.97 |
| Dinhata | Dinhata | 692.02 | 676,792 | 94.02 | 5.98 |
| Cooch Behar district | Cooch Behar | 3,387.00 | 2,819,026 | 89.73 | 10.27 |

## Administrative units

Mekhliganj subdivision has 3 police stations, 2 community development blocks, 2 panchayat samitis, 14 gram panchayats, 249 mouzas, 194 inhabited villages, 2 municipality and 1 census town. The municipalities are: Mekhliganj and Haldibari. The census town is: Nagar Changrabandha. The subdivision has its headquarters at Mekhliganj.

## Police stations

Police stations in the Mekhliganj subdivision have the following features and jurisdiction:
| Police Station | Area covered km$^2$ | International border | Inter-state border km | Municipal Town | CD block |
| Mekhliganj | 292.14 | - | - | Mekhliganj | Mekhliganj |
| Haldibari | 152.38 | - | - | Haldibari | Haldibari |
| Kuchlibari | 41.17 | - | - | - | Mekhliganj |

## Blocks

Community development blocks in the Mekhliganj subdivision are:
| CD block | Headquarters | Area km$^2$ | Population (2011) | SC % | ST % | Literacy Rate % | Census Towns |
| Mekhliganj | Changrabandha | 302.07 | 155,250 | 71.24 | 1.24 | 69.34 | 1 |
| Haldibari | Haldibari | 152.38 | 103,969 | 61.18 | 0.03 | 69.22 | - |

## Gram panchayats

The subdivision contains 14 gram panchayats under 2 community development blocks:
* Mekhliganj block consists of eight gram panchayats, viz. Bagdogra–Fulkadabri, Jamaldaha, Niztarof, Uchalpukuri, Changrabandha, Kuchlibari, Ranirhat and Bhotbari.
* Haldibari block consists of six gram panchayats, viz. Boxiganj, Dakshin Bara Haldibari, Hemkumari, Uttar Bara Haldibari, Dewanganj and Per–Mekhliganj.

## Education

The table below shows a comprehensive picture of the education scenario in Cooch Behar district, with data for the year 2012–13.
| Subdivision | Primary School | Primary School | Middle School | Middle School | High School | High School | Higher Secondary School | Higher Secondary School | General College, Univ | General College, Univ | Technical / Professional Instt | Technical / Professional Instt | Non-formal Education | Non-formal Education |
| Subdivision | Institution | Student | Institution | Student | Institution | Student | Institution | Student | Institution | Student | Institution | Student | Institution | Student |
| Mekhliganj | 216 | 24,210 | 52 | 27,782 | 4 | 4,012 | 21 | 27,680 | 2 | 2858 | 1 | 55 | 456 | 25,387 |
| Mathabhanga | 432 | 52,235 | 80 | 52,338 | 14 | 113,452 | 42 | 61,315 | 4 | 3,910 | 8 | 578 | 1,171 | 70,179 |
| Cooch Behar Sadar | 441 | 61,375 | 47 | 15,322 | 33 | 35,204 | 56 | 59,614 | 6 | 8,934 | 29 | 3,749 | 1,195 | 61,733 |
| Tufanganj | 310 | 31,205 | 72 | 45,231 | 46 | 17,510 | 30 | 38,274 | 2 | 2,871 | 3 | 275 | 950 | 36,293 |
| Dinhata | 431 | 42,213 | 46 | 14,723 | 27 | 31,836 | 29 | 44,946 | 1 | 3,492 | 4 | 381 | 1,228 | 1,950 |
| Cooch Behar district | 1,830 | 211,247 | 297 | 154,943 | 94 | 102,014 | 178 | 231,829 | 15 | 22,065 | 45 | 5,038 | 5,000 | 223,323 |
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.

### Educational institutions

The following institutions are located in Mekhliganj subdivision:
* Mekliganj College was established in 1996 at Mekhliganj.
* Netaji Subhas Mahavidyalaya was established in 1985 at Haldibari.

## Healthcare

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 2013 in Cooch Behar district, with data for the year 2012–13.:
| Subdivision | Health & Family Welfare Deptt, WB | Health & Family Welfare Deptt, WB | Health & Family Welfare Deptt, WB | Health & Family Welfare Deptt, WB | Other State Govt Deptts | Local bodies | Central Govt Deptts / PSUs | NGO / Private Nursing Homes | Total | Total Number of Beds | Total Number of Doctors* | Indoor Patients | Outdoor Patients |
| Subdivision | Hospitals | Rural Hospitals | Block Primary Health Centres | Primary Health Centres | Other State Govt Deptts | Local bodies | Central Govt Deptts / PSUs | NGO / Private Nursing Homes | Total | Total Number of Beds | Total Number of Doctors* | Indoor Patients | Outdoor Patients |
| Mekhliganj | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | - | - | - | 1 | 9 | 255 | 32 | 23,850 | 185,720 |
| Mathabhanga | 1 | - | 2 | 7 | - | - | - | 3 | 13 | 297 | 45 | 44,730 | 712,513 |
| Cooch Behar Sadar | 4 | - | 2 | 7 | 1 | - | 2 | 9 | 25 | 1,030 | 115 | 96,233 | 560,813 |
| Tufanganj | 1 | - | 2 | 5 | 1 | - | - | 3 | 12 | 266 | 38 | 46,232 | 560,813 |
| Dinhata | 1 | - | 3 | 7 | - | - | - | 3 | 14 | 429 | 50 | 62,943 | 624,514 |
| Cooch Behar district | 8 | 1 | 10 | 31 | 2 | - | 2 | 19 | 73 | 2,277 | 280 | 273,988 | 3,145,902 |
.* Excluding nursing homes.

### Medical facilities

Medical facilities in the Mekhliganj subdivision are as follows:
Hospitals: (Name, location, beds)
* Mekhliganj Subdivisional Hospital, Mekhliganj M, 120 beds
Rural Hospitals: (Name, CD block, location, beds)
* Haldibari Rural Hospital, Haldibari CD block, Haldibari M, 30 beds
Block Primary Health Centres: (Name, CD block, location, beds)
* Changrabandha Block Primary Health Centre, Mekhliganj CD block, Changrabandha, 10 beds
Primary Health Centres : (CD block-wise)(CD block, PHC location, beds)
* Mekhliganj CD block: Jamaldaha (10)
* Haldibari CD block: Anguldekha (PO Bakshiganj) (10 beds), Hudumdanga (PO Dewanganj) (6), Kuchlibari (6)

## Legislative segments

As per order of the Delimitation Commission in respect of the delimitation of constituencies in the West Bengal, the municipalities of Mekhliganj and Haldibari and the two blocks of Mekhliganj and Haldibari together will constitute the Mekhliganj assembly constituency of West Bengal. It will be reserved for Scheduled castes (SC) candidates. This constituency will be part of Jalpaiguri (Lok Sabha constituency), which will be reserved for SC candidates.