Chandigarh: Eight villages in Mohali district have approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court challenging the Punjab government’s decision to merge them into the Mohali Municipal Corporation. The high court has issued a notice to the state government and sought a response by February 11, the next date of hearing.
According to the petitioners, the Punjab government issued a notification proposing the inclusion of 15 villages into the Mohali Municipal Corporation, a move that would effectively dissolve the gram panchayats of these villages. The villagers have alleged that neither their panchayats nor residents were informed in advance, nor were their objections invited or considered before the notification was issued.
The petitioners have urged the high court to quash the notification, arguing that the process violated principles of natural justice. They contended that the decision was taken unilaterally without consulting the affected villages, despite the significant administrative and electoral implications of being brought under the municipal corporation.
Taking note of the plea, the high court has directed the Punjab government to clarify whether objections were sought from the concerned villages before their inclusion. The state has been asked to place its response on record by the next hearing scheduled for February 11.
Separately, a public interest litigation filed by Mohali resident Sandeep Singh has also brought attention to the issue. The PIL states that in June 2021, the Mohali Municipal Corporation had passed a resolution to expand its jurisdiction by including certain neighbouring villages. An order in this regard was issued on October 21, 2025, followed by a notification on November 28 proposing the inclusion of 15 villages.
Except for Balongi, all other panchayats opposed the move. The petitioners claimed that they submitted formal objections on December 10, but no action was taken by the authorities.
With the notification for Mohali Municipal Corporation elections expected to be issued soon, the inclusion of villages such as Sohana, Nanu Majra, Mauli Baidwan, Cheela, Rurka, Landran, Chhappar Chiri Khurd, Chhappar Chiri Kalan, Lakhnour and Bariyali has now been formally challenged before the high court.
The petitioners further alleged that when the expansion proposal was first introduced in 2021, these villages were not part of the list. Their sudden inclusion in the November notification, without notice or consultation, forms the core of the legal challenge.
