In a setback to the Punjab government’s implementation of its Low Impact Green Housing (LIGH) policy, 2025, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has extended the restraint on action under the policy until demarcation of land under the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA) is completed.
The matter was heard by a bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member Dr Afroz Ahmad. The tribunal, however, declined to issue directions on these demands at this stage. It observed that, in view of the amendment to the policy and the statement made by Punjab’s senior counsel, no ground was made out for issuing such directions and rejected the prayer.
The LIGH policy was notified by the Punjab department of housing and urban development on November 20, 2025, to regulate and regularise low-impact residential farmhouses on plots measuring 4,000 square yards on land delisted from the PLPA, particularly in the Shivalik-Kandi belt. The policy was challenged before the NGT by the Public Action Committee (PAC), which questioned its provisions in relation to land delisted from the PLPA, 1900. Around 3.26 lakh acres in Punjab fall under the PLPA, according to the figures cited in the matter. The tribunal, in its September 18 order uploaded on September 28, recorded the Punjab government’s submission that the demarcation process was in progress and that no action would be taken until the exercise was completed. The state also sought continuation of the statement made before the tribunal on December 18, 2025, which was recorded by the bench. During the hearing, senior counsel appearing for Punjab submitted that the government had subsequently amended the policy through a notification dated April 7, 2026. Under the amendment, the portion of Condition 11 referring to consideration of the Eco Tourism Policy, 2009, and monitoring by the forest department was deleted. Condition 18 was also deleted, while the remaining conditions of the November 2025 policy were retained. In the same order, the NGT also dealt with the challenge to Punjab’s Farm Stay Policy, 2026, and took note of the state government’s September 15, 2026, amendment to the policy.
The tribunal said other issues relating to the merits of the challenge would be considered after the requisite reports were placed on record.
