Debra (community development block)

Debra is a community development block that forms an administrative division in the Kharagpur subdivision of Paschim Medinipur district in the Indian state of West Bengal.

In 1968 many revolutionary intellectuals, broadly termed as Naxalites, settled in Gopiballavpur. Amongst them was Santosh Rana, who was a local person. In September 1969 a guerrilla squad killed an oppressive landlord. The landlords fled to the towns and a big peasant movement began. Landlords’ crops were forcibly harvested. Around 150 people were killed. Santosh Rana was the key figure in virtually “liberating” Debra, Gopiballavpur and neighbouring areas in West Bengal, as well as in Odisha and Jharkhand (which was part of Bihar at the time). The movement gradually split and collapsed in the early seventies.

Debra CD block is largely a flood prone marshy wetland. In this block 100% of the cultivated area has highly productive alluvial soil.

Debra is located at 22°23′26″N 87°34′02″E / 22.3906°N 87.5673°E / 22.3906; 87.5673.

Debra CD block is bounded by Daspur I CD block in the north, Panskura CD block, in Purba Medinipur district, in the east, Pingla CD block in the south and Kharagpur II and Keshpur CD blocks in the west.

It is located 28 km from Midnapore, the district headquarters.

Debra CD block has an area of 342.41 km². It has 1 panchayat samity, 14 gram panchayats, 214 gram sansads (village councils), 477 mouzas and 460 inhabited villages. Debra police station serves this block. Headquarters of this CD block is at Balichak.

Debra CD block had a forest cover of 540 hectares, against a total geographical area of 34,231 hectares in 2005-06.