The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), on May 6, 2026, issued a notification extending the Punjab Abadi Deh (Record of Rights) Act, 2021 to the Union Territory of Chandigarh under Section 87 of the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966. The extended legislation will be known as the Punjab Abadi Deh (Record of Rights) Act, 2021 (Extension to Chandigarh) Act, 2026, and takes effect from the date of publication in the Official Gazette.
The notification adapts the Punjab law to Chandigarh’s administrative structure by substituting references to the “State Government” and “Punjab” with “Administrator” and “Union Territory of Chandigarh” respectively. It also replaces references to Punjab municipal laws with the Punjab Municipal Corporation Law (Extension to Chandigarh) Act, 1994, and substitutes “village Committee” with “Local Committee”. Additionally, the appointed day under the Act has been revised from January 1, 2021 to April 2025.
Several legal and procedural amendments have also been introduced, including replacement of references to the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 and Indian Penal Code, 1860 with corresponding provisions under the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. Provisions relating to Panchayats and certain sections of the original Act have been omitted to suit Chandigarh’s governance framework. The extension is aimed at facilitating formal recording and resolution of proprietary rights in abadi deh areas within Chandigarh for better land governance and urban planning.
[Notification No. S.O. 2263(E)]
