Caught in jurisdiction maze, Panchkula residents seek single nodal authority

Residents of Panchkula have voiced growing frustration over what they describe as a “jurisdiction maze” involving the Municipal Corporation (MC), Panchkula, the Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) and the Panchkula Metropolitan Development Authority (PMDA), with complaints frequently being redirected or rejected on technical grounds.

The matter came to the fore after several citizens alleged that civic grievances, ranging from potholes and non-functional streetlights to sanitation lapses and blocked storm water drains, were being marked as “not pertaining to this department” and forwarded from one agency to another without resolution.

Mohit Gupta, founder of the civic group Solution Box, cited one such instance. “I lodged Complaint No. 12766 on the Mhari Sadak app on December 13, 2025. It was later closed by the Panchkula MC stating that it related to the PMDA. By December 26, I forwarded it to the PMDA and they marked it to further contact the MC/HSVP. The same day I filed complaint with the HSVP which was again denied stating it’s under the MC. When residents are shuttled between departments, whom should they approach?” he asked.

A major source of confusion, residents say, is the maintenance of sector-dividing ‘A’ roads. In several sectors, such as 15/16, 10/15, 7/8, 9/16 and 2/4, complaints raised through official portals are reportedly transferred between the MC and the PMDA, with each agency citing lack of jurisdiction. Street lighting on these roads is similarly fragmented, with some stretches under the HSVP and others under the MC.

Sanitation and construction and demolition (C&D) waste have emerged as additional flashpoints. In certain HSVP-developed sectors, residents claim that the MC does not lifts garbage, while the HSVP lacks the infrastructure to manage routine waste disposal. Storm water drain blockages have also become a contentious issue, with complaints allegedly being forwarded to multiple agencies and rejected by each in turn.

In response to the mounting criticism, the Deputy Commissioner’s Office, Panchkula, has issued a detailed listing delineating the jurisdiction of the three agencies in an attempt to settle the matter “once and for all”.

According to the clarification, all sector-dividing roads in Sectors 1 to 21 and Panchkula Extension (Sectors 22 to 28) fall under the PMDA. Key stretches, including the road from Sector 1/2 MDC near Saketri village to the UT boundary near Mahashiv Mandir, are also under the PMDA’s control.

Internal roads, however, are divided among agencies. Internal roads of Sectors 2, 4 and 6 to 21 are under the MC. Internal roads of Sectors 1, 3, 5, 23, 24, 27, 28, 31 and 32 are maintained by the HSVP. In the MDC area, internal roads of Sectors 4, 5 and 5A are with the MC.

The DC Office further clarified that streetlights and horticulture works are to be handled by the agency responsible for the road concerned. Tree maintenance is shared between the MC, horticulture wings and the UHBVN.

Storm water management has also been categorised. All storm lines along sector-dividing roads in the MDC areas and Panchkula Extension are under the PMDA. Internal storm lines in Sectors 1, 3 and 5, as well as Sectors 23, 24, 27, 28, 31 and 32, fall under the HSVP. Internal storm lines in Sectors 2, 4, 6 to 21, 25 and 26 are under the MC.

On sanitation, the HSVP is responsible for Sectors 1, 3, 5, 23, 24, 27, 28, 31 and 32, parts of the MDC and Sector 30, Pinjore. The MC handles sanitation in Sectors 2, 4, 6 to 21, 25 and 26. Construction and demolition (C&D) waste management has been clearly assigned to the MC. Industrial Area Phase I and II fall under the HSIIDC.

Major parks such as Town Park, Cactus Garden, Topiary Park, Traffic Park and Herbal Park are under the PMDA’s jurisdiction. Atal Park is also maintained by the PMDA. The MDC-Saketri road is presently under the HSVP and will eventually be transferred to the PMDA upon completion of construction.

Chanderkant Kataria, SDM, Panchkula, emphasised that the list issued by the administration was for reference. While residents welcomed the clarification, many urged the administration to consider appointing a single nodal authority or integrated grievance platform to prevent them from being caught in bureaucratic crossfire.