The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued notices to Punjab Chief Secretary KAP Sinha, Principal Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Vikas Garg and several other officials over a petition challenging Punjab’s “Policy for Approval/Regularisation of Low Impact Green Habitats (LIGH), 2025” and the case is linked to the growing number of illegal farmhouses and permanent structures coming up in environmentally sensitive areas around Chandigarh and Shivalik foothills.
The matter was heard by an NGT Bench headed by Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava along with expert member Afroz Ahmad and the Bench directed petitioners to formally serve notices to all respondents in the case and the petition was filed by Public Action Committee through its representative Jaskirat Singh and others. In the plea the petitioners alleged that Punjab government’s LIGH policy mainly benefits private landowners who own land in ecologically sensitive areas that fall under Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA) and according to petitioners the policy allows approval and regularisation of construction activities in de-listed PLPA areas and forest-influenced land. They argued that such land was originally meant only for genuine agricultural and livelihood purposes and not for permanent buildings or luxury farmhouse projects.
The petition also raised allegations of conflict of interest against senior Punjab bureaucrats involved in framing the policy and referring to revenue records the petitioners claimed that Jagdish Chander Garg who is father of Principal Secretary Vikas Garg owns land in de-listed or listed PLPA area covered under the policy however Vikas Garg rejected the allegations and said there was “absolutely no conflict of interest” and stated that Punjab government had already been informed about the land ownership well in advance.
The petitioners also alleged that Shivam Sinha, son of Chief Secretary KAP Sinha owns land in the same ecologically sensitive region. The petition further stated that a meeting chaired by the then Punjab Chief Secretary on April 26, 2010 had decided that de-listed PLPA areas would be properly demarcated using CAMPA funds however the petitioners argued that even after more than 15 years the demarcation work has not been completed on the ground so because of this delay the plea claimed that hundreds of illegal buildings and permanent structures have come up in Shivalik foothills and Kandi belt areas of Punjab. The petitioners alleged that these constructions violate earlier directions issued by Supreme Court as well as Punjab Eco-Tourism Policy, 2018.
According to the petition Punjab Eco-Tourism Policy does not allow permanent construction in de-listed zones and the plea also argued that LIGH policy goes against “public trust doctrine” under which environmentally sensitive land must be protected for public benefit and future generations.
The NGT has also directed Deputy Commissioners of several Punjab districts including Mohali, Rupnagar, SBS Nagar, Hoshiarpur, Gurdaspur and Pathankot to submit detailed action-taken reports before the next hearing.
These reports will include details of existing constructions in de-listed PLPA areas, alleged violations, permissions granted by authorities and action taken to stop unauthorised development.
The LIGH policy was officially notified by Punjab government on November 20, 2025 and the policy aims to create a framework for granting permission to low-impact construction projects and regularising existing structures in such areas. The petitioners have now demanded a stay on the implementation and operation of the policy and the matter will next be heard on July 21 along with another connected case OA No. 626 of 2025 in which the same policy is already under challenge before the tribunal.