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 11 districts of West Bengal. Transport Panskura CD Block has 15 ferry services and 15 originating/ terminating bus routes. Panskura railway station is on the Howrah-Kharagpur line. The Howrah-Kharagpur line was constructed in 1900. The Howrah–Kharagpur line was electrified in 1967-69. The Dankuni-Kharagpur sector of NH 16 passes through this block. Education In 2013-14, Panskura CD Block had 180 primary schools with 14,542 students, 13 middle schools with 977 students, 15 high schools with 6,146 students and 23 higher secondary schools with 23,389 students. Panskura CD Block had 1 general college with 85 students, 4 professional/ technical institutions with 350 students, 559 institutions for special and non-formal education with 23,060 students. As per the 2011 census, in Panskura CD block, amongst the 225 inhabited villages, 14 villages did not have a school, 68 villages had two or more primary schools, 55 villages had at least 1 primary and 1 middle school and 35 villages had at least 1 middle and 1 secondary school. Panskura Banamali College was established at Panskura in 1960. It is affiliated with Vidyasagar University. It offers undergraduate and post graduate courses. Siddhinath Mahavidyalaya, a government degree college, was established at Shyamsundarpur Patna in 2013. Healthcare In 2014, Panskura CD Block had 1 block primary health centre, 2 primary health centres, and 6 private nursing homes with total 110 beds and 10 doctors (excluding private bodies). It had 44 family welfare sub centres. 2,990 patients were treated indoor and 96,429 patients were treated outdoor in the hospitals, health centres and subcentres of the CD Block. Uttar Mechogram Rural Hospital at Uttar Mechogram, PO Keshapat (with 30 beds) is the main medical facility in Panskura CD block. There are primary health centres at Purba Itarah, PO Raghunathbari (with 6 beds) and Patanda (with 10 beds). Panskura picture gallery References Community development blocks in Purba Medinipur district