Saltora

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?Saltora West Bengal • India
Saltora
Coordinates: 23°31′60″N 86°55′60″E / 23.5333, 86.9333
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
Area • Elevation	• 153 m (502 ft)
District(s)	Bankura
Population	121,810 (2001)
Codes • Pincode • Telephone	• 722 158 • +91 3241
Website: bankura.gov.in/
CD Bloc

Coordinates: 23°31′60″N 86°55′60″E / 23.5333, 86.9333

Saltora (Bengali: শালতোড়া) is a town and community development bloc in Bankura district in the Indian state of West Bengal. Government of West Bengal has planned a Special Economic Zone in Saltora. ^[1]

1 Geography
- 1.1 Soil conditions
2 Demographics
3 Administration
4 Politics
5 Economics
6 Culture
7 References
8 See also

[edit] Geography

Saltora is located at 23.5333° N 86.9333° E. It has an average elevation of 153 metres (505 feet). ^[2]

Biharinath, the tallest hill of Bankura District (447.8m/ 1481 ft), and one of the dense forest areas of the district, is situated about 14 km north-east of Saltora town.^[3]

[edit] Soil conditions

The soil is undulating, red and latté rite based. Climatically the zone is within tropical dry sub-humid area having rainfall ranging from 1100 to 1400 mm and temperature maximum 45^oC and minimum 10^oC normally. This region is undulating with mounds and valleys. Soils are well drained and are susceptible to soil erosion due to rapid external drainage or run off, soil reaction ranges from acidic in ridges and near neutral in valleys. Agriculture in this region is mostly depends on rain. Ground water is not easily and economically tappable.^[4]

[edit] Demographics

In the 2001 census, Saltora community development bloc had a total population of 121,810 of which 62,357 were males and 59,453 were females. Decadal growth for the period 1991-2001 was 9.81% for Saltora, against 13.79% in Bankura district. Decadal growth in West Bengal was 17.84%.^[5]

Saltora Bloc had a total scheduled caste population of 41,461 and a scheduled tribe population of 24,214.^[6]There are 45 villages with the scheduled tribe population more that 40 per cent.^[7]

[edit] Administration

Saltora is an intermediate panchayat in Bankura district, with Bamuntore, Dhekia, Gogra, Kanuri, Pabra, Salma, Saltora and Tiluri village panchayats under it.^[8]

[edit] Politics

In 1962 state assembly elections, Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy won the Saltora assembly seat, as also the Chowringhee assembly seat.^[9]

As per order of the Delimitation Commission in respect of the delimitation of constituencies in the West Bengal, assembly constituency no. 247 Saltora (SC) will cover Saltora and Mejia community development blocs, and Banasuria, Barashal, Lachmanpur and Latiaboni gram panchayats of Gangajalghati community development bloc. It will form part of parliamentary constituency no. 36 Bankura.^[10]

[edit] Economics

Government of West Bengal has planned a Special Economic Zone in the less fertile area of Saltora. It has also earmarked certain blocs of Bankura district, considered by some to be a “neglected” district, for industrial development.^[1]^[11]

As the Saltora area is located just opposite, across the Damodar River, to the flourishing Burnpur industrial zone of Bardhaman district, the viability of the proposed SEZ is assured.^[1]Steel Authority of India Limited is funding the construction of a bridge across the Damodar, connecting Burnpur with Madhukunda nearby.^[12]

The proposed area for the SEZ comprises 126 acres, out of which 55.16 acres are vested and in possession of the state land and land reforms department. Besides the SEZ proposal another 3,000 acres are proposed to be acquired to set up a complete industrial hub. There are hints of political opposition to the land acquisition.^[11]

An all-party delegation met the chief minister of the state on 18 June 2007 and demanded that the state government should take steps to invite entrepreneurs to invest in those areas of the district which are lying unused for decades. Subsequently, the opposition party SUC has staged a protest demonstration in front of the bloc development office and the district chairman of Trinamool Congress has demanded ”the publication of a white paper clarifying that not a single furlong of agricultural land is to be destroyed out of the bid.”^[11]Comparatively more fertile areas of the state at Singur and Nandigram have seen agitations, even violence, against acquisition of agricultural lands.

[edit] Culture

There is an old temple at the foot of Biharinath hill. With the discovery of Paleolithic tools in the Biharinath area, the hill and the surrounding areas have come into focus of archaeologists.^[13]