InIndia, acommunity development block (CD block) or simplyBlock is a sub-division ofDistrict, administratively earmarked for planning and development.[1] In tribal areas, similar sub-divisions are calledtribal development blocks (TD blocks).[2] The area is administered by aBlock Development Officer (BDO), supported by several technical specialists and village-level workers.[3] A community development block covers severalgram panchayats, the local administrative units at the village level. A block is a rural subdivision and typically smaller than a tehsil. Atehsil is purely for revenue administration, whereas a block is for rural development purposes. In most states, a block is coterminous with thepanchayat samiti area.[4][5][6]
The nomenclature varies from state to state, such as common terms like "block" and others includingcommunity development block,panchayat union block, panchayat block,panchayat samiti block,development block, etc. All denote a CD Block, which is a subdivision of adistrict, exclusively for rural development.[7][6][4]
The concept of the community development block was first suggested by Grow More Food (GMF) Enquiry Committee in 1952 to address the challenge of multiple rural development agencies working without a sense of common objectives.[8] Based on the committee's recommendations, the community development programme was launched on a pilot basis in 1952 to provide for a substantial increase in the country'sagricultural programme, and for improvements in systems of communication, in rural health and hygiene, and inrural education and also to initiate and direct a process of integrated culture change aimed at transforming the social and economic life of villagers.[9] The community development programme was rapidly implemented. In 1956, by the end of thefirst five-year plan period, there were 248 blocks, covering around a fifth of the population in the country. By the end thesecond five-year plan period, there were 3,000 blocks covering 70 per cent of the rural population. By 1964, the entire country was covered.[10]
A Block Development Officer (BDO) is an administrative officer in India responsible for the overall development of a Community Development Block (CD Block), a sub-division of a district. They are appointed by the state government and report to the Chief Development Officer (CDO) or District Development Commissioner or the similar position.
They typically fall under the purview of the Rural Development Department or Department of Panchayats of the respective state government. The BDO is responsible for overall supervision of all the antipoverty schemes and execution of the Developmental works.
The BDO functions as the Secretary of thePanchayat Samiti/Block Panchayat and exercises supervision and control over the extension officers and other employees of the Panchayat Samiti and the staff borne on transferred schemes.
| State | CD Block | Number of CD Blocks |
|---|---|---|
| Andaman and Nicobar Islands | CD Block | 9 |
| Andhra Pradesh | Mandal | 668 |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Block | 129 |
| Assam | Block | 239 |
| Bihar | Block | 534 |
| Chandigarh | Block | 3 |
| Chhattisgarh | CD Block | 146 |
| Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | CD Block | 3 |
| Delhi | CD Block | 342 |
| Goa | CD Block | 12 |
| Gujarat | CD Block | 250 |
| Haryana | Block | 143 |
| Himachal Pradesh | CD Block | 88 |
| Jammu and Kashmir | CD Block | 287 |
| Jharkhand | Block | 264 |
| Karnataka | CD Block | 235 |
| Kerala | Block | 152 |
| Ladakh | CD Block | 31 |
| Lakshadweep | CD Block | 10 |
| Madhya Pradesh | CD Block | 313 |
| Maharashtra | CD Block | 352 |
| Manipur | CD Block | 70 |
| Meghalaya | CD Block | 54 |
| Mizoram | CD Block | 28 |
| Nagaland | CD Block | 74 |
| Odisha | CD Block | 314 |
| Puducherry | CD Block | 6 |
| Punjab | CD Block | 153 |
| Rajasthan | CD Block | 353 |
| Sikkim | CD Block | 33 |
| Tamil Nadu | Taluk | 388 |
| Telangana | Mandal | 594 |
| Tripura | CD Block | 58 |
| Uttar Pradesh | CD Block | 826 |
| Uttarakhand | CD Block | 95 |
| West Bengal | CD Block | 345 |