Examine the administrative and coordination challenges in developing infrastructure in Union Territories, using a recent case study.

Q. Examine the administrative and coordination challenges in developing infrastructure in Union Territories, using a recent case study. (15 marks, 250-350 words)

Union Territories lack the fiscal autonomy and legislative depth of States, so infrastructure delivery there depends on layered coordination between the Administrator, Union ministries and central agencies. NAMO Airport, Daman — foundation stone laid on 25 April 2023 and inaugurated on 5 June 2026 [1][2] — illustrates both the frictions and how they can be resolved.

Dependence on central financing and approvals - UTs have no independent revenue base; the ₹124 crore airport was built by the UT Administration with ₹88 crore reimbursed by the Ministry of Civil Aviation [2]. Project pace therefore tracks central sanction cycles. - Land, terminal design and viability-gap support each require separate Union clearances, lengthening the approval chain.

Multiplicity of agencies and dual-use complexity - The airport is a dual-purpose facility operating from the Indian Coast Guard Air Station (ICGAS), Daman [2] — civil operations must be reconciled with defence use. - Runway extension for A320-class aircraft needed Ministry of Defence approval, obtained in May 2026 [2]; capacity is thus contingent on a ministry outside the civil aviation chain.

Accountability and administrative capacity - Executive authority rests with the Administrator under Article 239, not an elected State cabinet, so political ownership and local grievance redress are thinner. - Small UT cadres have limited technical staffing for aviation-grade project management, forcing reliance on central expertise.

Where coordination worked - Convergence delivered a 3,700 sq. m terminal on 25 acres, handling 14 ATR flights daily and 3.67 lakh passengers annually [2]. - Government-owned Alliance Air began the Daman–Delhi service on 16 July 2026, cutting travel time to about 2.5 hours and serving the Daman–Vapi–Valsad industrial belt [2].

The case shows that UT infrastructure succeeds less through hierarchy than through negotiated convergence among Union ministries, defence authorities and the UT Administration. Institutionalising single-window clearance for dual-use projects, strengthening UT technical cadres, and adopting the 2nd ARC's emphasis on decentralised, outcome-linked administration would make such successes routine rather than exceptional — advancing balanced regional development and SDG-9 on resilient infrastructure.

(~330 words)

Sources: 1. PM to visit Surat and Daman on 5th June — PIB — inauguration of the NAMO Airport new terminal building on 5 June 2026 2. Historic Milestone for Daman: Union Minister of Civil Aviation Flags Off Inaugural Commercial Flight from NAMO Airport to New Delhi — PIB — foundation stone date, ₹124 crore cost and ₹88 crore reimbursement, ICGAS dual-use status, MoD runway approval, terminal size and capacity, Alliance Air Daman–Delhi service