Nizam and the province was reconstituted into two districts, East Berar with its headquarters at Amravati, and West Berar with its headquarters at Akola. In 1903 Berar Province became the Berar Division of Central Provinces. In 1936 these were renamed as Central Provinces and Berar. Independent India In 1950 when the Constitution of India came into effect, Pusad as part of the Central Provinces & Berar was merged with the newly formed state of Madhya Pradesh. In 1956, under pressure from Marathi Irredentists, the Berar and Nagpur divisions were transferred to Bombay state. In 1960, the Bombay State was partitioned into Maharashtra & Gujarat. There is an ongoing Vidarbha movement to demand statehood for Vidarbha region, as well as a separate movement to demand upgrade of Pusad's status from taluk to district. Vasantrao Naik, a grassroots Banjara leader, who was born in Gavli village of Pusad remains the longest serving Chief Minister of Maharashtra from 1963 to 1975. Sudhakarrao Naik is former Chief Minister of Maharashtra from 1991 to 1993 and former Governor of Himachal Pradesh in 1994. Geography Topography Just north of Pusad hills is the Buldhana-Yavatmal plateau, itself part of the bigger deccan plateau, extends from Penganga valley of Pusad region in south, to the Purna valley of Ajanta range of Marathwada in north, and to Wardha valley in the east. It covers the southern parts of districts of Akola, Buldhana and Yavatmal. Highest elevation of is found in Buldhana and Chikhuli, in south around Pusad, sloping escarpment (steep cliff) towards Purna and Wardha river valleys in north and east respectively. The edges and interior of this plateau are jagged and littered with series of hills and valleys. Hills are mostly "flat topped" (eroded former larger plateau) with sharp drops, trappean in structure, made of basalt, gradually sloping in the west but uneven in the east. Slopes are steep, dry, without many plants or trees. Further north of Ajanta range is "Amravati plateau" which extends till Gawilghur hill range. Hydrology The town is located on the south and western banks of the "Pus river". The Pus river flows through Pusad taluka, the Arunavati River and Adan River through Darwha taluka. Murray Leaf explains that the "Pus valley" lies in a wide but isolated upland valley in the tribal area which has small towns and very few highways as most of the area is covered with teak and sal