to 49.2% in 2011. At the time of the 2011 census, 57.31% of the population spoke Surjapuri, 29.78% Bengali, 8.44% Urdu, 2.47% Santali and 1.16% Hindi as their first language. Rural poverty As per the Rural Household Survey conducted in 2002, 40.7% of the rural families in Islampur CD Block belonged to the BPL category, against 46.7% of rural families in Uttar Dinajpur district being in the BPL category. As per the Human Development Report for Uttar Dinajpur district, Islampur and Karandighi rank sixth and seventh in terms of human development, with respective Human Development Index (HDIs) that indicate the existence of a wide human development gap between them and the lowest ranked Raiganj SD block of Itahar. However, in terms of the concentration of human poverty, they occupy a more favourable position than Itahar. Economy Livelihood In Islampur CD Block in 2011, amongst the class of total workers, cultivators numbered 27,957 and formed 29.36%, agricultural labourers numbered 38,639 and formed 40.57%, household industry workers numbered 1,099 and formed 1.15% and other workers numbered 27,535 and formed 28.91%. Total workers numbered 95,230 and formed 30.87% of the total population, and non-workers numbered 213,288 and formed 69.13% of the population. Note: In the census records a person is considered a cultivator, if the person is engaged in cultivation/ supervision of land owned by self/government/institution. When a person who works on another person's land for wages in cash or kind or share, is regarded as an agricultural labourer. Household industry is defined as an industry conducted by one or more members of the family within the household or village, and one that does not qualify for registration as a factory under the Factories Act. Other workers are persons engaged in some economic activity other than cultivators, agricultural labourers and household workers. It includes factory, mining, plantation, transport and office workers, those engaged in business and commerce, teachers, entertainment artistes and so on. Infrastructure There are 101 inhabited villages in Islampur CD Block. All 101 villages (100%) have power supply. All 101 villages (100%) have drinking water supply. 17 villages (16.83%) have post offices. 90 villages (89.11%) have telephones (including landlines, public call offices and mobile phones). 42 villages (41.58%) have a pucca (paved) approach road and 20 villages (19.80%) have transport communication (includes bus service, rail facility and navigable waterways). 1 village (0.99%) has an agricultural credit society. 11 villages (10.89%) have