Lok Sabha on November 27, 2019, passed the Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (Merger of Union Territories) Bill, 2019.
Features
The Bill provides for the merger of Union territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.
The objective behind the proposed merger is to provide better delivery of services to citizens of both the UTs by improving efficiency and reduction in paperwork and administrative expenditure.
According to the Government, the will also bring uniformity in policy and schemes.
Both the UTs are located in the western region of the country. Dadra and Nagar Haveli has just one district while Daman and Diu has two.
The country currently 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.
About Dadra and Nagar Haveli
In order to keep the English at bay and to enlist their support against the Mughals, the Marathas made friends with the Portuguese and signed a treaty in 1779. According to this historic treaty of friendship, the Maratha-Peshwa agreed that the Portuguese will be allowed to collect revenue from Dadra and Nagar Haveli which consisted of 72 villages in compensation for their loss of a warship which had earlier been captured by the Marathas but not surrendered to the Portuguese inspite of their many entreaties. These territories were earlier ruled by the Koli chiefs who were defeated by the Hindu kings of Jawhar and Ramnagar. The Marathas conquered and annexed these territories to their kingdom.
The area of Dadra &Nagar Haveli spread over 491.00 sq.kms. land locked between Gujarat in North and Maharashtra in South was liberated from Portuguese Rulers by people themselves on 2nd August 1954 . The people of the U.T. established free Administration of Dadra & Nagar Haveli, which was finally merged in to Union of India in the year 1961.
About Daman and Diu
After Liberation on 19th December, 1961 from Portuguese Rule of more than four centuries, Daman and Diu became a part of the U.T. of Goa, Daman and Diu under Government of India. After delinking of Goa, which attained statehood, U.T. of Daman and Diu came into existence on 30th May, 1987. U.T. of Daman and Diu comprises two districts namely Daman and Diu. Both Districts are situated on western coast of India at a distance of about 700 kms. Daman is the head Quarter of this U.T. Daman is on main land near southern portion of Gujarat State. Vapi is the nearest Railway Station (13 kms) which is on Western Railway between Mumbai and Surat. Vapi is 167 kms from Mumbai Central and 95 kms from Surat.
