inhabited villages in Goalpokhar II CD Block. 166 villages (98.22%) have power supply. All 169 villages (100%) have drinking water supply. 32 villages (18.93%) have post offices. 160 villages (94.67%) have telephones (including landlines, public call offices and mobile phones). 77 villages (45.56%) have a pucca (paved) approach road and 38 villages (22.49%) have transport communication (includes bus service, rail facility and navigable waterways). 10 villages (5.92%) have agricultural credit societies. 9 villages (5.33%) have banks. Agriculture “With its distinctive physiographic and agroclimatic features, the Dinajpur region has been a bread-basket area of Bengal for many centuries, growing multiple varieties of fine and coarse rice in vast quantities, along with major economic crops like jute. The livelihood profile of Uttar Dinajpur district has evolved in association with these old agricultural patterns, and more than two-thirds of its active workforce still draws livelihoods directly from agriculture and related occupations.” Agricultural potential has been uneven across Uttar Dinajpur based on soil conditions and irrigation potential. This has generated considerable internal migration within the district, as areas with higher agricultural potential and higher labour demand has attracted large number of people. The impact of land reforms has also varied. As the Islampur subdivision blocks evolved initially under the Bihar administration, the land estates were larger in size and the extent of land acquired under ceiling laws were higher. The cultivator population in Islampur subdivision was also thinner. Such conditions have been favourable for migrants. The movement of people from agricultural activities to non-agricultural activities has been low in Uttar Dinajpur district except for some pockets. Goalpokhar II CD Block had 93 fertiliser depots, 25 seed stores and 52 fair price shops in 2013–14. In 2013–14, Goalpokhar II CD Block produced 55,280 tonnes of Aman paddy, the main winter crop from 18,832 hectares, 6,270 tonnes of Boro paddy (spring crop) from 2,982 hectares, 11,167 tonnes of wheat from 5,000 hectares, 5,118 tonnes of maize from 2,102 hectares, 35,914 tonnes of jute from 3,018 hectares and 35,339 tonnes of potatoes from 859 hectares. It also produced maskalai and oilseeds. In 2013–14, the total area irrigated in Goalpokhar II CD Block was 401 hectares, out of which 200 hectares were irrigated by river lift irrigation and 201 hectares by deep tube wells. Craft based activities “More than eleven hundred rural households across the district are engaged in traditional crafts based industries, among which dhokra, mat making,