New Delhi: The Parliament today passed a Bill that seeks to merge two Union Territories — Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli — into one unit.
The Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (Merger of Union Territories) Bill, 2019, which was already approved in the Lok Sabha, was passed in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday through voice vote.
All parties including Odisha’s Biju Janata Dal supported the Bill.
Speaking about the Bill, BJD MP Dr. Sasmit Patra said that the merger of these two small Union Territories would help reduce duplication of work and expedite development.
The merged Union Territory will be named Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.
The country currently has nine Union Territories 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.