Ministry of Home Affairs has introduced the Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (Merger of Union Territories) Bill, 2019 on 26th November, 2019. The Bill provides for the merger of the Union Territories (UTs) of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu into a single UT.
Background :
Both the Union territories of Daman and Diu and the Dadra and Nagar Haveli are located in the western region of India. Having two separate constitutional and administrative entities in both the Union territories lead to lot of duplicity, inefficiency and wasteful expenditure that posed an unnecessary financial burden on the Government.
In view of the policy of the Government to have “Minimum Government, Maximum Governance”, and considering the small population and limited geographical area of both the Union territories, the Union territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu are proposed to be merged into a single Union territory.
Significant provisions of the Bill :
- The jurisdiction of the High Court of Bombay shall continue to extend to the Union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.
- The right to recover arrears on any tax or duty on any property situated in the existing Union Territories will vest in the newly formed Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.
- The existing Union Territories before the appointed day if is a party to any legal proceedings with respect to any property, rights or liabilities will be transferred to Union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. The Union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu will be deemed to be substituted for the existing Union territories as a party to those proceedings.
- All laws which extend to, or were in force in, existing Union territories shall, on and from the appointed day, continue to be in force in those areas in respect of which they were in force immediately before that day.
Source: Ministry of Home Affairs
