Bill merging Daman, Diu, Dadra & Nagar Haveli UTs passed in Lok Sabha

New Delhi: Lok Sabha on Wednesday (November 29) passed the bill to merge Union Territories of Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy had introduced the Dadar and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (Merger of Union Territories), Bill, 2019 on Tuesday, for merging the two Union Territories. 

The government`s move is a step towards better management of administration in the two regions. It comes three months after the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories -- Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. The Parliament had in August passed a bill to bifurcate Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories.

As Dadra & Nagar Haveli has just one district, and Daman and Diu has two, the central government has to spend over separate secretariats and other infrastructure for the two UTs. Separate budgets are also passed to take care of these regions. 

After the creation of the UTs of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, India has nine Union Territories. With the merger of Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli, the number of UTs will reduce to eight.