The court observed that while the law mandates a review and amendment of a master plan at least once every 10 years, no new plan has been notified for Kharar in the 15 years since the last plan was published on May 25, 2010.The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday expressed concern over the prolonged delay in revising the statutory master plan for the municipal council of Kharar in Mohali, which continues to rely on a plan notified in 2010 despite rapid urban expansion and ground-level changes.A bench comprising Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sanjiv Berry disposed of a PIL petition filed by Chander Shekhar, who sought enforcement of statutory obligations under the Punjab Regional and Town Planning and Development Act 1995 for the timely revision and notification of Kharar’s master plan.The court observed that while the law mandates a review and amendment of a master plan at least once every 10 years, no new plan has been notified for Kharar in the 15 years since the last plan was published on May 25, 2010.“Despite a lapse of 15 years, no fresh exercise to make a new master plan for the said city is being undertaken,” the bench said.The state’s counsel informed the court that while a revised draft master plan was drawn up in January 2020, the exercise was eventually shelved due to certain deviations. Now, officials have initiated a fresh amendment process for the 2010 plan.A drone-based ground survey was commissioned on June 25, 2025, and is expected to be completed in six months. This will be followed by another six months during which the Kharar municipal council will compile the data and prepare a report.The court recorded its expectation that the process of preparing a new master plan for Kharar “shall be commenced within the said period”, and granted liberty to the petitioner to approach the court again if the state fails to act.Story continues below this adThe PIL, argued by advocates Rajni Narula, Alankar Narula, and Navdeep Singh, highlighted that Kharar, part of the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority region and adjacent to Chandigarh and Mohali, has undergone significant urban transformation. Yet, the outdated 2010 master plan continues to govern planning decisions, despite being declared unworkable soon after its notification.The petition detailed how the municipal council of Kharar had passed a resolution in 2011 declaring the plan infeasible. Subsequent field surveys by the district town planner confirmed that key elements, including road alignments and land use zones, no longer matched on-ground realities.In 2020, a revised draft master plan (Drawing No. DTP SAS Nagar 2372/2020) was finalised following inputs from a committee chaired by the deputy commissioner of SAS Nagar (Mohali). However, no action was taken under section 70(4) of the Act to notify it or invite public objections.The court was also reminded that in earlier proceedings—including CWP No. 14675 of 2014 and COCP No. 92 of 2025—assurances had been given by the state that revision was underway. When deadlines were missed, the court even ordered a halt on further construction in Kharar (May 19, 2025) and attached salaries of senior officials (May 27, 2025) for non-compliance.Story continues below this adCalling the continued use of the obsolete master plan a violation of statutory duties and citizens’ rights under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution, the petitioner said the inaction had led to haphazard development, infrastructure breakdown, and unregulated land use.Advocate Shekhar Verma appeared for Punjab while Sandeep Khunger represented the municipal council of Kharar.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:Punjab and Haryana HC