and 88 villages had mobile phone coverage. 188 villages had pucca (paved) village roads, 21 villages had bus service (public/ private), 7 villages had autos/ modified autos, and 63 villages had tractors. 16 villages had bank branches, 12 villages had agricultural credit societies, no village had cinema/ video hall, 1 village had public library and public reading room. 45 villages had public distribution system, 19 villages had weekly haat (market) and 77 villages had assembly polling stations. Agriculture Hills occupy a large portion of Giridih district. The soil is generally rocky and sandy and that helps jungles and bushes to grow. The forest area, forming a large portion of total area, in the district is evenly distributed all over. Some areas near the rivers have alluvial soil. In Pirtanr CD block, the percentage of cultivable area to total area is 31.01%. The percentage of cultivable area to the total area for the district, as a whole, is 27.04%. Irrigation is inadequate. The percentage of irrigated area to cultivable area in Pirtanr CD block is 6.79%. May to October is the Kharif season, followed by the Rabi season. Rice, sown in 50% of the gross sown area, is the main crop in the district. Other important crops grown are: maize, wheat, sugar cane, pulses and vegetables. Coal mining Coal is mined in Pirtand CD block. Backward Regions Grant Fund Giridih district is listed as a backward region and receives financial support from the Backward Regions Grant Fund. The fund created by the Government of India is designed to redress regional imbalances in development. As of 2012, 272 districts across the country were listed under this scheme. The list includes 21 districts of Jharkhand. Education Pirtand CD block had 27 villages with pre-primary schools, 164 villages with primary schools, 71 villages with middle schools, 11 villages with secondary schools, 6 villages with senior secondary schools, 28 villages with no educational facility. .*Senior secondary schools are also known as Inter colleges in Jharkhand Healthcare Pirtand CD block had 1 village with community health centre, 20 villages with primary health subcentres, 1 village with maternity and child welfare centre, 1 village with allopathic hospital, 5 villages with dispensaries, 9 villages with medicine shops. .*Private medical practitioners, alternative medicine etc. not included References External links Community development blocks in Giridih district