Silli block

Jharkhand is one of the states affected by Maoist activities. As of 2012, Ranchi district was among the highly affected districts in the state.[1] “Areas of Tamar, Bundu, Sonahatu, Angarha, Sikidari Police Stations and Rahe O.P. have been widely affected by activities of CPI (Maoist) group till the end of year 2009. At the end of year 2010, The activities of CPI (Maoist) group has been minimized up to almost zero level.”[2]

According to the Jharkhand Police spokesperson and Inspector General (IG) Saket Singh, as reported on December 8, 2020, “The activities of CPI-Maoist are now confined to small pockets in the state because of our efforts.” Civilian fatalities, a key index of security in a region, declined from 20 in 2019, to 8 in 2020, the lowest in this category since 2000, when there were 13 such fatalities. The 28 total fatalities recorded in 2020 are also the lowest overall fatalities recorded in the state in a year since 2000, when they stood at 36.[3]

Ranchi being the capital city of the state has always been under minute scrutiny of all.[4] The arrest, from his home in Ranchi on October 9, 2020, by the NIA, of 83-years old Rev. Fr. Stan Swamy, S.J., Jesuit priest and activist, working with tribals for decades, and his subsequent death in custody, in a Mumbai hospital, on 5 July 2021, has been widely discussed.[5][6][7][8]

Silli is located in the southern part of the Chota Nagpur plateau, and about 60 kilometers from the city of Ranchi. It has a hilly topography and its dense tropical forests a combination that produces a relatively moderate climate compared to the rest of the state.

Silli CD block is located on the Lower Chota Nagpur Plateau. It has an average elevation of 500–1,000 feet (150–300 m) above mean sea level.[9]

Situated at an edge of the Ranchi plateau, the Jonha Falls (also known as Gautamdhara Falls) is an example of a hanging valley falls. The Gunga River hangs over its master stream, Raru River and forms the falls.[10]

Silli CD block is bounded by the Gola CD block in Ramgarh district on the north, Jhalda I CD block in Purulia district of West Bengal on the east, Sonahatu CD block on the south and Rahe and Angara CD blocks on the west.[11][12][13]

Silli CD block has an area of 289.54 km².[14]Silli police station serves Silli CD block.[15] The headquarters of Silli CD block is located at Silli village.[16]

Although Silli has a humid subtropical climate, its location and the forests surrounding it combine to produce the unusually pleasant climate for which it's known. Summer temperatures range from 20 °C to 42 degrees, winter temperatures from 8 °C to 25 degrees. December and January are the coolest months, with temperatures dipping to the freezing point in some areas.

60-70% of the population of Ranchi district were in the BPL category in 2004–2005.[25] In 2011-12, the proportion of BPL population in Ranchi district came down to 27.82%.[26] According to a study in 2013 (modified in 2019), "the incidence of poverty in Jharkhand is estimated at 46%, but 60% of the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes are still below poverty line."[27]

Muri Junction railway station is on the Barkakana-Muri-Chandil line.[35]

There are stations at Muri and Silli on the Netaji S.C.Bose Gomoh–Hatia line.[36]

State Highway 1 (Ranchi-Silli-Muri Road), an important roadway in Ranchi district, passes through Muri.[37][38]

Silli CD block had 13 villages with pre-primary schools, 80 villages with primary schools, 37 villages with middle schools, 11 villages with secondary schools, 6 villages with senior secondary schools, 1 village has general degree college, 1 village with polytechnic, 1 village with special school for disabled, 13 villages with no educational facility.[39]
.*Senior secondary schools are also known as Inter colleges in Jharkhand

Silli College, established in 1980 at Silli, is affiliated with Ranchi University and offers courses in arts, science and commerce.[40][41][42]

Silli CD block had 3 villages with primary health centres, 17 villages with primary health subcentres, 4 villages with maternity and child welfare centres, 5 villages with allopathic hospitals, 4 villages with dispensaries, 2 villages with family welfare centres, 3 villages with medicine shops.[39]
.*Private medical practitioners, alternative medicine etc. not included

Silli Stadium at Silli with a capacity of 20,000 is used mainly for football.[43] It has synthetic turf which was laid by the organisation who had laid the synthetic turf for the Salt Lake Stadium at Kolkata.[44]