Panchayats have 12 yrs to enforce eviction orders: HC
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has held that the period of limitation for enforcing eviction orders under the Punjab Village Common Lands (Regulation) Act is 12 years, as prescribed under Article 136 of the Limitation Act, and not three years, as contended under Article 137.
The Division Bench of Justice Sureshwar Thakur and Justice Vikas Suri pronounced the verdict while adjudicating a writ petition filed in 1999. The ruling has far-reaching implications for gram panchayats across Punjab and Haryana, which frequently face resistance in executing eviction orders against illegal encroachers. The HC judgment strengthens the hands of local bodies by confirming that they have 12 years to enforce eviction orders, thereby preventing encroachers from exploiting procedural technicalities to retain possession unlawfully.
