Acknowledgement

This research has been undertaken under the Faculty Improvement Programme of the University Grants Commission. I am indeed grateful to the UGC for offering me teacher fellowship and to the Governing Body of PJB College, Andul, Haora for granting me leave to bring the work to a successful completion.

In preparing this thesis, I offer my deep and sincere gratitude and respect to my supervisors, Professor Bimalendu Bhattacharya, formerly Professor and Head of the Department of Geography and Applied Geography, University of North Bengal, and Dr. Sushma Rohatgi, formerly Head of the Department of Geography and Applied Geography, University of North Bengal. It is their keen interest, valuable guidance, suggestions and constant encouragement which made it possible for me to complete this work.

I owe a heartfelt gratitude to rriy teacher, Professor Aslam Mahmood, Centre for the Study of Regional Development, Jawaharlal Nehru University and to Professor H. R. Beta! of Department of Geography, University of Calcutta for their valuable advice. I am also thankful to Professor Prashanta Pathak ofl.S.I., Kolkata, Professor Debashish Bhattacharya, Dr. Sushi! Halder of Jadavpur University and Professor Ani! Bhuimali of University of North Benga.l for their suggestions and cooperation.

I am extremely indebted to Dr Malay Ranjan Sarkar, Principal, University B.T. and Evening College, Koch Bihar, Dr. Chanchal Monda!, University B.T. and Evening College, Koch Bihar and Professor Abhijit Roy, Koch Bihar College, Koch Bihar for assisting me during the period of field work. I am thankful to Mr. Pradip Banik, Samapti, Ratan, Shuvra, Jayeeta, Milan for assisting me in field survey.

I am grateful to Dr. Sekhar Sircar, formerly Principal, Koch Bihar College, Koch Bihar for providing me with records and valuable books and also for giving me inspiration to complete the work.

Ill I am thankful to the Principal, Polytechnic College, Koch Bihar, Principal P.D. Women's College Jalpaiguri, Principal, Ananda Chandra College, Jalpaiguri, C.M.O.H., M.J.N. Hospital, Koch Bihar, C.M.O.H., of Jalpaiguri Hospital, the staff of the Transport offices of Koch Bihar, Jalpaiguri, Dinhata, Tufanganj and Alipurduar, Newspaper Agents of Koch Bihar and Jalpaiguri, the staff of the D.L.L.R.O, Koch Bihar, the staff of the District Statistical offices of Koch Bihar and J alpaiguri, the staff of the Bureau of Applied Economics and Statistics, Kolkata, the staff of the Census Library, Kolkata, the staff of the National Library, Kolkata for providing me with important data and records.

Dr. Basabi Fraser of Edinburgh has laid me under a deep debt of gratitude for help with printouts. A word of grateful thanks is also due to Subhasish Kundu, Bhupesh Bagchi of the University of North Bengal and Dr. M.M.Pal and Jotsna Baidya of Kolkata for computational and cartographic assistance. Thanks are due to Dhar Brothers, Kolkata for helping me with printing and binding the thesis. I am grateful to Prof. Mukul Saha ofPJB College, Andul and Smt. Priyodarshini Chatterjee ofKolkata for providing me with their hardware.

Lastly, my grateful thanks are due to the villagers of the forty-two villages, contacts and warmth with whom have given me such first hand acquaintance with a real picture of rural socio-economic situations which is far more enlightening than mere recorded information.

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