After contempt notice: Haryana revokes notification on Morni demarcation authority

The Haryana government had on September 2025 issued a notification turning the demarcation authority into a three-member body without consulting the state

The Haryana government has withdrawn its September 2025 notification, converting the Morni Hills demarcation authority into a three-member body, following a contempt notice issued by the Punjab and Haryana high court on January 30.

The Punjab and Haryana high court had said that the demarcation and survey was to be done by the forest settlement officer (FSO) and not by the revenue authorities, as claimed by the state government. The appointment of the FSO was made in 2018. (Shutterstock)

Vasvi Tyagi, secretary, forests and wildlife department, government of Haryana, submitted this information before the bench of chief justice Sheel Nagu and justice Sumeet Goel on February 27.

The issue pertained to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed in 2017 by Vijay Bansal, a Panchkula resident, who had demanded settlement of the Morni Hills area as prescribed under the Punjab Land Revenue Act, 1887.

The area was formerly a part of the Sirmaur district in Himachal Pradesh and became a part of Haryana in 1966. In December 1987, the government issued a notification of reserved forest area. However, the process of demarcation has not been completed even now.

In June 2025, the high court had given the Haryana government time till December 31 to identify and notify reserved forest areas in Morni Hills. “The Morni Hills are serving as the prime green cover, acting as lungs for the tricity of Chandigarh, Panchkula & Mohali. Indubitably, the authorities are required to take a decision, one way or the other, regarding completion of the process,” the bench had said while ordering demarcation in six months and warning of punitive action if the exercise was not completed.

The court had said that the demarcation and survey was to be done by the forest settlement officer (FSO) and not by the revenue authorities, as claimed by the state government. The appointment of the FSO was made in 2018.

However, the Haryana government in September 2025, without seeking clarification from the high court, brought on board two more officers – Panchkula additional deputy commissioner and Panchkula district revenue officer – along with the FSO, for the settlement work and changed the demarcation authority into a three-member body. The anomaly had come to light when on January 20, 2026, the secretary, forest and wildlife department, sought extension of time to comply with the June order of demarcation. The court had taken exception to the fact that without permission from the court, the body was changed to a three-member body. Hence, it issued contempt notice to the secretary forest on January 30.

On Friday, after the court was told that the notification regarding the panel having three members has been withdrawn, the court said that requisite facilities, amenities and infrastructure should be provided to the FSO and in case of violation the officer shall be held personally responsible. The court also said that it expects the FSO to start settlement work by the adjourned date. The court further said that the counsel for the FSO can, on the next date of hearing, bring forth the shortcomings in the facilities, amenities and infrastructure provided to the FSO, if not provided by the state.

“On the next date of hearing, if it is found that the FSO is prevented from discharging his duties due to lack of infrastructure, then the secretary, forests and wildlife department, government of Haryana, will be personally held liable for all consequences,” the court said posting the matter for hearing on March 13.

According to the petitioner, most of the area is either abutting or falls under outer Himalaya Shivalik Hills range. The issue pertains to residents of 14 local villages, whose land on 6,000 acres of the forest area has not been properly demarcated.

“Nearly 200 farmhouses have come up. Many of them by manipulating revenue records. Unplanned growth of Morni town is taking place. This is also the reason behind rampant illegal mining in areas abutting the Himachal border. It is an ecologically sensitive area. Villagers, and in many cases outsiders, have encroached upon the forest land as the area of villages viz a viz forest area has not been properly demarcated,” added Vijay Bansal, who heads Shivalik Vikas Manch and has been fighting this case in high court since 2017.

As per Bansal, the demarcation process has been pending since 1987, which has threatened the ecological system of this area from Panchkula to Kala Amb in Himachal.