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It had an area of 894 square miles with a population of 477,000 and a revenue of about rupees ten millions. It was felt that in view of the special set-up of the State and in deference to the wishes of the Ruler, the State should remain under Central administration for some time. The Ruler signed the Instrument of Merger (Appendix XXIII) on 15th May, 1949 and the administration was taken over by a Chief Commissioner on behalf of the Government of India on 1st July, 1949. The administration was carried on in the closest co-operation with the Government of the United Provinces. For obvious reasons the State could not remain indefinitely as a Centrally administered area and with the concurrence of the Ruler it was decided to merge it with the United Provinces; the administration was taken over by the Provincial Government on December 1, 1949.
111. Cooch Behar.—Cooch Behar is situated on the north-east of India bounded on the south by East Bengal, north by Jalpaiguri District of West Bengal and on the west by Assam. It had an area of 1,321 square miles with a population of about 641,000 and a revenue of about Rs. 10 millions. The Merger Agreement (Appendix XXIV) was signed by the Ruler on the 30th August, 1949, and the administration of the State was taken over by a Chief Commissioner on behalf of the Government of India on the 12th September, 1949. After careful consideration of all factors the Government of India reached the conclusion that the best interests of the people of Cooch Behar and of India as a whole will be served by its merger in the Province of West Bengal. This was done with effect from 1st January, 1950, by means of an Order under Section 290A of the Government of India Act, 1935.
112. Khasi Hill States.—The Khasi Hill States on the north east of India were not affected by the process of integration until the inauguration of the new Constitution. These are for the most part occupied by tribal people. The Rulers were designated as Siems. The succession to the gaddi was not in all cases hereditary; the new Siem was generally elected by the people. Before the 15th August, 1947, the relations of the Crown Representative with the Khasi Hill States were conducted through the Governor of Assam. In practice the administration of the Hill States was in great measure assimilated to that of the Province of Assam partly by the application of the British Indian laws under the Foreign Jurisdiction Order in Council and partly by administrative measures adopted with the concurrence of the Khasi Chiefs.
113. The Khasi Hill States had formed a Federation of their own and had both individually and collectively acceded to the Dominion of India
