31,450. Scheduled Castes numbered 24,593 (8.48%) and Scheduled Tribes numbered 945 (0.33%). As per 2001 census, Panskura II block had a total population of 256,875, out of which 132,042 were males and 124,833 were females. Panskura II block registered a population growth of 12.94 per cent during the 1991-2001 decade. Decadal growth for the combined Midnapore district was 14.87 per cent Decadal growth in West Bengal was 17.84 per cent. Census Towns in Kolaghat CD Block (2011 census figures in brackets): Kolaghat (25,191), Amalhara (14,261), Mihitikri (6,906) and Kharisha (4,120). Large villages (with 4,000+ population) in Kolaghat CD Block (2011 census figures in brackets): Brindaban Chak (10,235), Siddha (5,642), Paramanandapur (4,002), Narayan Pakuria (5,654), Saluka (5,680), Gopal Nagar (5,333), Rain (5,329), Arar (5,618), Raksa Chak (4,308), Mandar Gachha (4,204), Bhogpur (7,559) and Derya Chak (11,358). Other villages in Kolaghat CD Block (2011 census figures in brackets): Mecheda (673). Literacy As per 2011 census the total number of literates in Kolaghat CD Block was 219,686 (84.93% of the population over 6 years) out of which 122,060 (56%) were males and 97,626 (44%) were females. As per 2011 census, literacy in Purba Medinipur district was 87.02%. Purba Medinipur had the highest literacy amongst all the districts of West Bengal in 2011. See also – List of West Bengal districts ranked by literacy rate Language and religion As per the 2001 census, Bengali was the mother-tongue of 90.5% of the population of Purba Medinipur district, followed by Santali (4.6%), Hindi (1.4%), Kurmali Thar (0.7%), Urdu (0.6%), Telugu (0.6%), Odiya (0.4%), Mundari (0.2%), Koda/ Kora (0.1%), Munda (0.1%), Nepali (0.1%) and others (0.3%). Census information about language is available at the district level or above only. The West Bengal Official Language (Second Amendment) Bill, 2012, included Hindi, Santhali, Odiya and Punjabi as official languages if it is spoken by a population exceeding 10 per cent of the whole in a particular block or sub-division or a district. Subsequently, Kamtapuri, Rajbanshi and Kurmali were also included in the list of minority languages by the West Bengal Official Language (Second Amendment) Bill, 2018. However, as of 2019, there is no official / other reliable information about the areas covered. In 2011 census Hindus numbered 227,164 and formed 78.30% of the population in Kolaghat CD Block. Muslims numbered 62,369 and formed 21.50% of the population. Others numbered 591 and formed 0.20% of the population. Rural poverty The