Division of Bihar & Odisha

But no step was taken for the transfer of Odia-speaking areas from Bengal and Bihar. By this recommendation, the total area was raised from 55,799 to 84,677 sq. km. (21,545 to 32,695 sq. miles). In the lines of the recommendations of the Committee, the Government of India Bill 1935 was passed by the Parliament and the new province of Odisha as an administrative unit came into being on the 1st April, 1936 with the following areas as per the Government of India (Constitution of Odisha ) Order,1936.

The Ganjam agency tracts – Non-agency portion of Ganjam district such as the Taluks of Ghumusur,

Chatrapur, Asika, Sorada, Kodala and a portion of the Taluks of Ichhapur and Brahmapur as laid to the north and west of the line described in Part-II of the Schedule.

So much of the Paralakhemundi estate as laid to the north and east of the said line.

From Vizagapatnam district-the Jaypur (Jeypore) estate and so much of Patangi Taluk as was not included in that estate.

Areas from Central Provinces

the Kharial Zamindari in Raipur district

the Padmapur tract consisting of the 54 villages of the Chandrapur-Padmapur estate,

Seven villages, namely-Kuakunda, Badima, Soda, Brahmapur, Palosoda, Jagni and Thakurpali.

Since then throughout the pre-independence days Odisha has suffered a lot as it was not possible to put together all the Odia-speaking areas under a single administration. There were only six districts, viz., Cuttack, Puri, Baleshwar, Sambalpur, Ganjam and Koraput. The old district of Anugul was split up into two statutory districts, viz. Anugul and the Khondmals under the Angul Laws Regulations, 1936 and the Khondamals Laws Regulations, 1936 respectively. But for administrative purposes Angul was tagged to Cuttack district and Khondamals to Ganjam district. The Collectors of Cuttack and Ganjam became respectively the ex-officio Deputy Commissioners of those two areas. The rest of the province constituted 26 princely states, governed by the Rajas and Maharajas who had the last word of law within the jurisdiction of their respective princely states. They were loosely knit and administered under Political Agent of the British Government who was mostly satisfied after the collection of a predetermined part of the total revenue collection known as tribute or Nazarana from the rulers of those states. The process continued till 1947 when the country got independence.