# Chanchal subdivision

Chanchal subdivision is an administrative subdivision of the Malda district in the Indian state of West Bengal.

## Geography

Chanchal subdivision covers the Tal, one of the three physiographic sub-regions of the district. The Tal region gradually slopes down towards the south-west and merges with the Diara sub-region… (it) is strewn with innumerable marshes, bils and oxbow lakes.”

## Subdivisions

Malda district is divided into two administrative subdivisions:
| Subdivision | Headquarters | Area km$^2$ | Population (2011) | Urban Population % (2011) | Rural Population % (2011) |
| Malda Sadar | English Bazar | 2,515.43 | 2,650,466 | 20.23 | 79.77 |
| Chanchal | Chanchal | 1,160.44 | 1,338,379 | 0.42 | 88.58 |
| Malda district | English Bazar | 3,733.00 | 3,988,845 | 13.58 | 86.42 |

## Administrative units

Chanchal subdivision has 4 police stations, 6 community development blocks, 6 panchayat samitis, 49 gram panchayats, 524 mouzas, 508 inhabited villages and 1 census town. The census town is: Chanchal. The subdivision has its headquarters at Chanchal.

## Police stations

Police stations in Chanchal subdivision have the following features and jurisdiction:
| Police station | Area covered (km$^2$) | Border (km) | Municipal town/ city | CD Block |
| Harishchandrapur | n/a | - | - | Harishchandrapur I, Harishchandrapur II |
| Chanchal | n/a | - | - | Chanchal I, Chanchal II |
| Pukhuria | n/a | - | - | Ratua II |
| Ratua | n/a | - | - | Ratua I |

## Blocks

Community development blocks in Chanchal subdivision are:
| CD Block | Headquarters | Area km$^2$ | Population (2011) | SC % | ST % | Hindus % | Muslims % | Literacy Rate % | Census Towns |
| Harishchandrapur I | Harishchandrapur | 171.40 | 199,493 | 24.60 | 2.08 | 42.10 | 57.81 | 52.47 | - |
| Harishchandrapur II | Khanta (Barduari) | 217.22 | 251,345 | 12.85 | 2.88 | 27.24 | 72.61 | 54.34 | - |
| Chanchal I | Chanchal | 162.08 | 204,740 | 13.37 | 0.42 | 29.75 | 70.06 | 65.09 | 1 |
| Chanchal II | Malatipur | 205.22 | 205,333 | 8.33 | 6.71 | 29.44 | 69.48 | 57.38 | - |
| Ratua I | Ratua | 225.17 | 275,388 | 11.09 | 8.52 | 34.46 | 65.28 | 60.13 | - |
| Ratua II | Pukhuria | 101.29 | 202,080 | 6.37 | 0.97 | 23.28 | 76.66 | 56.19 | - |

## Gram panchayats

The subdivision contains 49 gram panchayats under 6 community development blocks:
* Chanchal I block consists of eight gram panchayats, viz. Alihanda, Chanchal, Kharba, Makdampur, Bhagabanpur, Kaligram, Mahanandapur and Motiharpur.
* Chanchal II block consists of seven gram panchayats, viz. Bhakri, Dhangara–Bishanpur, Gourhanda, Kshempur, Chandrapara, Jalalpur and Malatipur.
* Ratua I block consists of ten gram panchayats, viz. Baharal, Chandmoni–II, Mahanandatola, Bhado, Bilaimari, Debipur, Ratua, Chandmoni–I, Kahala and Samsi.
* Ratua II block consists of eight gram panchayats, viz. Araidanga, Paranpur, Pukhuria, Sreepur–I, Maharajpur, Peerganj, Sambalpur and Sreepur–II.
* Harishchandrapur I block consists of seven gram panchayats, viz. Bhingole, Harishchandrapur, Kusidha, Rashidabad, Barui, Mahendrapur and Tulsihatta.
* Harishchandrapur II block consists of nine gram panchayats, viz. Daulatpur, Malior–I, Sadlichak, Doulatnagar, Malior–II, Sultannagar, Islampur, Mashaldaha and Valuka.

## Education

Malda district had a literacy rate of 61.73% (for population of 7 years and above) as per the census of 2011. Malda Sadar subdivision had a literacy rate of 63.76% and Chanchal subdivision 57.68%.
The table below gives a comprehensive picture of the education scenario in Malda district for the year 2013-14:
| 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 |
| Malda Sadar | 1,334 | 198,126 | 116 | 28,270 | 74 | 130,124 | 143 | 270,490 | 8 | 33,233 | 20 | 2,947 | 4,518 | 167,244 |
| Chanchal | 608 | 130,248 | 69 | 14,113 | 54 | 84,638 | 65 | 122,173 | 3 | 9,846 | 1 | 100 | 1,794 | 105,051 |
| Malda district | 1,942 | 328,374 | 185 | 42,383 | 128 | 214,762 | 208 | 392,663 | 11 | 43,079 | 21 | 3,047 | 6,312 | 272,295 |
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 the Chanchal subdivision:
* Samsi College was established at Samsi in 1968.
* Chanchal College was established at Chanchal in 1969.
* Harishchandrapur College was established at Pipla Kasimpur, Harishchandrapur, in 2008.
Niar college

## 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 2014 in Malda district.
| 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 |
| Malda Sadar | 1 | 9 | 1 | 21 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 28 | 70 | 2,241 | 321 | 59,798 | 1,655,481 |
| Chanchal | 1 | 3 | 3 | 13 | - | - | - | 1 | 21 | 411 | 53 | 54,733 | 1,082,292 |
| Malda district | 2 | 12 | 4 | 34 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 29 | 91 | 2,652 | 374 | 114,531 | 2,737,773 |
.* Excluding nursing homes

### Medical facilities

Medical facilities available in Chanchal subdivision are as follows: Hospitals: (Name, location, beds) Chanchal Subdivisional Hospital, Chanchal, 100 beds Rural Hospitals: (Name, block, location, beds) Harishchandrapur Rural Hospital, Harishchandrapur I CD Block, Harishchandrapur, 65 beds Ratua Rural Hospital, Ratua I CD Block, Ratua, 30 beds Araidanga Rural Hospital, Ratua II CD Block, Araidanga, 30 beds Masaldabazar Rural Hospital, Harishchandrapur II CD Block, Mashaldaha PO Kariali, 30 beds
Malatipur Rural Hospital, Chanchal II, Malatipur, 30 beds Primary Health Centres: (CD Block-wise)(CD Block, PHC location, beds) Ratua I CD Block: Debipur (10), Mahanandatola (10), Samsi (10) Ratua II CD Block: Khailsona (Sultanganj PHC) (6), Kumarganj (10) Harishchandrapur I CD Block: Vingal (Bhingola PHC) (4), Boroi (6), Khushida (10) Harishchandrapur II CD Block: Bhaluka Bazar (Bhaluka PHC) (10), Hadamnagar (6) Chanchal I CD Block: Kharba (10), Singia (Nadishik PHC) (10) Chanchal II CD Block: Chandrapara (4), Chorolmoni (Khempur PHC) (10)

## Electoral constituencies

Lok Sabha (parliamentary) and Vidhan Sabha (state assembly) constituencies in Chanchal subdivision were as follows:
| Lok Sabha constituency | Reservation | Vidhan Sabha constituency | Reservation | CD Block and/or Gram panchayats and/or municipal areas |
| Maldaha Uttar | None | Chanchal | None | Chanchal I CD Block and Barui, Kusidha, Rashidabad and Tulsihatta gram panchayats of Harishchandrapur I CD Block |
| | | Harishchandrapur | None | Harishchandrapur II CD Block and Bhingole, Harishchandrapur and Mahendrapur gram panchayats of Harishchandrapur I CD Block |
| | | Malatipur | None | Harishchandrapur II CD Block and Bhingole, Harishchandrapur and Mahendrapur gram panchayats of Harishchandrapur I CD Block |
| | | Ratua | None | Ratua I CD Block and Araidanga, Paranpur, Pukuria and Sambalpur gram panchayats of Ratua II CD Block |
| | | 3 assembly segments in Malda Sadar subdivision | | |