Chapter 8: Summary and Conclusions
3. Healthcare delivery schedule included
4.2 PROFILE OF BALAGAON REVENUE VILLAGE Geographical location
Balagaon revenue village falls in the Barbhag block of Nalbari district in Assam. Nalbari district occupies an area of 2,257 square kilometers. It is situated at 26° 25' North and 91°
26' East. It has a population of 7,69,919. The district has a population density of 734 inhabitants per square kilometer. The population growth rate of the district over the decade 2001-11 is 11.74 percent. Rural population constitutes 89 percent and sex ratio is 945 females for every 1000 males. Overall literacy of the village is 79 percent; male and female literacy rates are 84 percent and 73 percent respectively.
Table 4.9 Profile of Balagaon revenue village
Indicators 2011 2014
Total population of the village 1297 1278
Total Number of households 256 278
Female population (in percent) 49 48
Male Population (in percent) 51 52
Literate population (in percent) 81 84
Sex Ratio 944 927
Juvenile Sex Ratio 1127 1390
Source: Census of India, 2011; Survey data, 2014
The Census 2011 estimates show that of the total population in workforce, 79 percent are males. The work participation rate for the district is 35 percent. Of the total worker population, 74 percent are main workers. Cultivators and agricultural laborers account for 22 percent and 25 percent of the total workforce respectively. Caste-wise classification indicates that eight percent of the population belongs to scheduled caste category while 3 percent of the population is from scheduled tribes. Barbhag Development Block has been identified as a ‘forward block’ based on Barua (2012). Overall literacy rate of the block is 69 percent; male and female literacy rates are 58 percent and 42 percent respectively. Of the total worker population, 75 percent are main workers. Cultivators and agricultural laborers account for 8 percent and 9 percent of the total workforce respectively.
The census enumeration carried out in July 2014 estimated total number of households in the village as 278. This is an increase of 22 households if compared with the Census estimate of 2011. The Census recorded 256 households in Balagaon. The 2014 survey estimate showed a population size of 1278, the Census of 2011 estimated 1297 persons in the village. Overall literacy rate recorded in the survey of 2014 was 84 percent. This is a rise
of about 3 percentage points from 2011. The juvenile sex ratio in the village stands in favour of girl children (Table 4.9).
In terms of the social group composition, in Balagaon, general caste category households (59 percent) outnumber other categories. The schedules castes (28 percent) are the second largest group followed by the OBCs (13 percent) (Table 4.10). Majority households of Balagaon village are caste Hindu households.
Table 4.10 Distribution of households by social group in Balagaon revenue village, in number and percent
Social group Number percent
General 165 59
Scheduled caste 78 28
Other backward castes 35 13
All castes 278 100
Source: Survey data, 2014
Note: Balagaon village does not constitute any Muslim population
The overall literacy rate of Balagaon village is 84 percent. The proportion of literate population below primary level education (less than Class V) is 23 percent. The share of people that have cleared secondary level education but are below higher secondary level is 39 percent. 11 percent of the population have completed higher secondary level but are under graduate. The share of population completing graduate level education but below post graduation is 6 percent in the village. The proportion of post graduated population is however significantly low and constitutes only 2 percent of total population. 16 percent of population in the village has no formal education (Table 4.11).
Table 4.11 Distribution of households by educational level in Balagaon revenue village, in number and percent
Educational level Number percent
Below primary ( below 5 standard) 270 23
Primary (up to class five) 41 4
Secondary passed but below higher secondary 441 38
Higher secondary but under graduate 130 11
Graduation but below post graduation 78 6
Post graduation 18 2
Illiterate 181 16
All persons 1159 100
Source: Survey data, 2014
The total worker population of the village is 506, constituting 39 percent of the total population. Of the total worker population of the village, 8 percent are cultivators. While 8 percent labor out in agriculture, 16 percent are engaged in non-agricultural activities.
Laboring out in agriculture mainly includes working in others field as daily wage earners and other agricultural activities like sowing, harvesting and ploughing. Non-agricultural workers are mainly engaged in activities such as carpentry, mechanical works, cycling pushcarts and as workers in small factories. Around 15 percent are construction workers. The proportion of self employed population in the village is 27 percent. Self employment includes engagement in small businesses such as grocery shops, weavers, vegetable vendors, village priest, carpenters, fishing and other small businesses. Around 28 percent of the worker population is regular salaried (Table 4.12).
Table 4.12 Distribution of households by occupation in Balagaon revenue village, in number and percent
Types of occupation Number Percent
Cultivators 42 8
Laboring out in agriculture 140 8
Laboring out in non-agriculture 40 16
Construction workers 80 15
Self employed 130 27
Salaried 74 28
All workers 506 100
Source: Survey data, 2014
Almost 71 percent of the households do not possess any agricultural land in Balgaon. The share of households engaged in agricultural related activities is low in Balgaon. The percentage of households possessing marginal and small holding constitute 25 percent and 4 percent respectively. Proportion of households with semi-medium land holding is only 1 percent. Only 1 household in the village is a medium holder (Table 4.13).
Table 4.13 Distribution of households by operational holding in Balagaon revenue village, in number and percent
Land holding (in hectares) Number Percent
4.01-10.00 1 0.36
2.01-4.00 2 0.72
1.01-2.00 10 3.60
0.002-1.00 69 24.82
<0.002 196 70.50
All households 278 100
Source: Survey data, 2014
Note: The size distribution of household operational holding follows the definition used in NSSO large sample surveys. The categories are: Landless/near landless =< 0.002 ha, Marginal=0.002 -1.00 ha, Small =2.01-4.00 ha, Semi medium=2.01-4.00 ha, Medium=4.01-10.00 ha, and Large=>10 ha.
The distribution of households by family size in Balagaon revenue village indicates presence of 1 single headed household. Majority of the households in the village have less than or equal to 4 members (57 percent). Households with 5 to 6 members constitute 31 percent of the total household. Larger households with more than or equal to 7 households members constitute 12 percent of the total households in Balagaon (Table 4.14).
Table 4.14 Distribution of households by family size in Balagaon revenue village, in number and percent
Number Percent
Single headed 1 .36
158 56.83
5-6 86 30.94
33 11.87
All households 278 100
Source: Survey data, 2014
The distribution of the households by age of head of the household shows that majority of the households are headed by members in the age group 41 to 60 years of age (56 percent).
23 percent of the households are headed by household members aged 21 to 40 years of age.
Households headed by elderly member of more than 60 years of age accounts for 21 percent of the households (Table 4.15).
Table 4.15 Distribution of households by age of head of the household in Balagaon revenue village, in number and percent
Age of the household head Number Percent
21-40 63 23
41-60 156 56
61 and above 59 21
All households 278 100
Source: Survey data, 2014
Share of households having access to electricity facility is 93 percent. In terms of use of toilet facility, the estimate shows that 84 percent of the households are using toilet facility.
73 percent of the households in the village are using safe drinking water. Similarly, housing condition of the village indicates that majority of the households are residing in kutcha houses. The percentage of households residing in kutcha houses and semi-pucca houses accounts for 48 percent and 35 percent respectively. Proportion of households residing in pucca houses is 16 percent. In terms of source of cooking fuel, dependence on biogas is highest in the village. 49 percent of the households depend on biogas as source of cooking fuel. The dependence on firewood alone and both firewood and biogas is 18 percent and 35 percent respectively in the village (table 4.16).
4.3 HEALTH ENTITLEMENTS AND HEALTH FACILITIES IN THE STUDY