Santosh Rana was the key figure in virtually “liberating” Debra, Gopiballavpur and neighbouring areas in West Bengal, as well as in Odisha and Jharkhand (then it was Bihar).

[1][2][3] 106 districts spanning 10 states across India, described as being a part of the Left Wing Extremism activities, constitutes the Red corridor.

In West Bengal the districts of Pashim Medinipur, Bankura, Purulia and Birbhum are part of the Red corridor.

However, as of July 2016, there has been no reported incidents of Maoist related activities from these districts for the previous 4 years.

[4] In the period 2009-2011 LWE violence resulted in more than 500 deaths and a similar number missing in Paschim Medinipur district.

[5] The Lalgarh movement, which started attracting attention after the failed assassination attempt on Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, then chief minister of West Bengal, in the Salboni area of Paschim Medinipur district, on 2 November 2008 and the police action that followed, had also spread over to these areas.

Although the epi-centre of the movement was Lalgarh, it was spread across 19 police stations in three adjoining districts – Paschim Medinipur, Bankura and Purulia, all thickly forested and near the border with Jharkhand.

The movement came to an end after the 2011 state assembly elections and change of government in West Bengal.

[16] Large villages (with 4,000+ population) in Gopiballavpur II CD block are (2011 census figures in brackets): Chorchita (4,383).

[14] Other villages in Gopiballavpur II CD block include (2011 census figures in brackets): Petbindhi (3,847), Tapsia (1,779), Nota (974), Kuliana (1,777) and Belaberya (1,685).

[14] See also – List of West Bengal districts ranked by literacy rate Primary Census Abstract Data

[17] Others include Addi Bassi, Marang Boro, Santal, Saranath, Sari Dharma, Sarna, Alchchi, Bidin, Sant, Saevdharm, Seran, Saran, Sarin, Kheria,[18] Christian and other religious communities.

There were 52 fertiliser depots, 9 seed stores and 40 fair price shops in the CD block.

[22] Persons engaged in agriculturein Gopiballavpur II CD block Although the Bargadari Act of 1950 recognised the rights of bargadars to a higher share of crops from the land that they tilled, it was not implemented fully.

In 2013-14, persons engaged in agriculture in Gopiballavpur II CD block could be classified as follows: bargadars 5.03%, patta (document) holders 33.27%, small farmers (possessing land between 1 and 2 hectares) 2.00%, marginal farmers (possessing land up to 1 hectare) 17.61% and agricultural labourers 42.09%.

[22] The United Nations Development Programme considers the combined primary and secondary enrolment ratio as the simple indicator of educational achievement of the children in the school going age.

In 2014, Gopiballavpur II CD block had 1 rural hospital and 3 primary health centres with total 52 beds and 5 doctors.