Parliament has passed a Bill to merge two Union Territories - Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli - into one unit.

Responding to the Bill, Minister of State for Home G. Kishen Reddy said that the measure will help in strengthening administrative efficiency and fast track the development of the two UTs.

The Rajya Sabha passed the Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (Merger of Union Territories) Bill, 2019, through a voice vote on December 3. The Lok Sabha had already passed the Bill on November 27.

The country has nine UTs after the creation of the UTs of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. However, with the merger of Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli, the number of UTs will come down to eight.

Why were the two UTs merged?

Informing about the rationale behind bringing the amendment, Reddy said that there are two secretariats and parallel departments which consume infrastructure and manpower in each UT.

The administrator, secretaries and heads of certain departments function in both the UTs on alternate days affecting their availability to people and monitoring functioning of subordinate staff.

The subordinate employees of both the UTs are separate. Also, various departments of the Centre have to coordinate with both the UTs separately, causing duplication of work.

It also causes additional financial burden. Besides these, there are various challenges for cadre management and career progression of employees. Availability of more officers and infrastructure would help in more efficient implementation of flagship schemes of the government.

What will happen after the merger?

Merging will also help in cutting down administrative costs, he said, adding the move was supported by civil society along with elected member of Parliament of that area.

“The local administration also requested for integration, hence we have taken this step,” he said.

The merged UT will be named as Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. “The name is long but we have taken this keeping in the sentiments of the local people there,” he said.

Reddy said that the merged UTs would officially function in the same language in which they were working.

Moreover, it would also continue the reservation provided to people in the two UTs and the Bombay High Court will continue its jurisdiction over the merged UT.

Participating in the debate, CPM’s K.K. Ragesh asked whether such a Bill requires two-third majority of the House as it is amending the first schedule of the Constitution. Replying to him, Home Minister Amit Shah said this is not a constitutional amendment. It is changing the Union Territories, hence it is not required.

Demand for Assembly in Lakshadweep

Ragesh also highlighted the problems faced by the residents of UT of Lakshadweep and requested the government to consider granting it the status of a state with a mini Assembly.

CPI’s Binoy Viswam also said that there is lack of development in Lakshadweep as there are no basic facilities such as hospitals, colleges etc and asked the government to consider an Assembly there as the earliest.

BPF’s Biswajit Daimary requested the Centre to consider granting UT status to the area under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council, which administers the local tribal dominated areas of Tripura.

RJD’s Manoj Kumar Jha said there is a need for small states in the country for governance and creation of small states as Bundelkhand and Mithalanchal should be considered.

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