Mangat Singh and Others Vs State of Punjab… — Writ and Judicial Review | Punjab & Haryana HC (2026)

Mangat Singh and Others Vs State of Punjab… — Writ and Judicial Review | Punjab & Haryana HC (2026)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

No substantive relief adjudicated; petition disposed of as having been rendered infructuous following the notification dated 22.01.2026 merging the cadres.

Issue for consideration

Whether a writ in the nature of mandamus should be issued directing the respondents to merge the cadre of Panchayat Secretaries into the Village Development Organizers (VDO)/Gram Sewaks cadre, both working within the same Rural Development and Panchayats Department, and not to make fresh recruitments till that time.

Court's answer

Learned counsel for the parties were recorded as ad idem that, vide notification dated 22.01.2026 issued by the Government of Punjab, Department of Rural Development and Panchayats (RDE-2 Branch), the cadres of Panchayat Secretaries and Gram Sewaks (VDOs) have been merged and restructured into the newly created cadre of Panchayat Development Secretary, with effect from the date of issuance of the notification, subject to certain conditions — the factual predicate for the disposal.

Ratio / Principle

In view of the merger notification, learned counsel for the petitioners conceded that the instant petition had been rendered infructuous, and the Court disposed of the petition as having been rendered infructuous.

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

CWP-3758-2024 (O&M), High Court of Punjab and Haryana at Chandigarh, Namit Kumar, J. (oral), decided 25.05.2026. Filed under Articles 226/227 of the Constitution of India, the petition by Mangat Singh and others sought a writ of mandamus directing the respondents to merge the cadre of Panchayat Secretaries into the Village Development Organizers (VDO)/Gram Sewaks cadre within the Rural Development and Panchayats Department, and to desist from fresh recruitments till then. At the relevant hearing, counsel for both parties were ad idem that, vide notification dated 22.01.2026 issued by the Government of Punjab, Department of Rural Development and Panchayats (RDE-2 Branch), the cadres of Panchayat Secretaries and Gram Sewaks (VDOs) had been merged and restructured into a newly created cadre of Panchayat Development Secretary (para 3(c)), with effect from the date of issuance, subject to conditions. Pursuant to order dated 30.04.2026, Shri Ajit Balaji Joshi, Administrative Secretary, appeared and submitted that release of due salaries of concerned employees was pending with the Finance Department, with efforts to be made to release them within two months. Counsel for the petitioners thereupon conceded the petition had been rendered infructuous, and the Court disposed of the petition as such. Ancillary applications CM-8663-CWP-2026 (allowed; short reply affidavit of Uma Shankar Gupta taken on record) and CM-8657-CWP-2026 (exemption from appearance of respondent No.1; disposed of as infructuous) were likewise concluded. No precedent was engaged and no independent ratio on the merger policy emerges from this order.

231+104. IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH

CWP-3758-2024 (O&M) Date of decision: 25.05.2026

Mangat Sin g h and others

.... Petitioners

Versus

State of Pu n jab and others

.... Respondents

CORAM: HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE NAMIT KUMAR

Present: Mr. Ranjit Singh Sidhu, Advo c ate, for the petitioners.

Mr. Siddharth Sandhu, AAG, P unjab.

NAMIT KUMAR, J. (ORAL)

CM-8663-CWP-2026

Application is allowed, as pra y ed for.

Short reply filed by way of A f fidavit of Uma Shankar Gupta , Director, Department of Rural Developm e nt and Panchayats, Punjab, o n behalf of re s pondents No.1 and 2, is taken o n record.

CWP-3758-2024

The instant petition has been filed under Articles 226/227 o f the Constit u tion of India for issuance of a w rit in the nature of mandamu s for directin g the respondents to merge the cadre of Panchayat Secretarie s into the V i llage Development Organizers (VDO)/Gram Sewaks as bot h working wi t hin the same department i.e. R u ral Development and Panchaya t Department, and not to make fresh recruitm e nts till that time. 2. Learned counsel for the p a rties are ad idem that vid e notification dated 22.01.2026, issued b y the Government of Punjab , Department of Rural Development and P a nchayats (RDE-2 Branch), th e cadres of P a nchayat Secretaries and Gram S ewaks (VDOs) have been

SANJEEV KUMAR 2026.05.25 16:35 I attest to the accuracy and integrity of this document

CWP-3758-2024 (O&M) - 2 -

merged and restructured into newly created cadre of Panchayat Development Secretary, as mentioned in para 3 (c), with effect from the date of issuance of the notification subject to certain conditions.

Shri Ajit Balaji Joshi, Administrative Secretary to Government of Punjab, Department of Rural Development and Panchayats, Punjab, is present in Court today, and submits that the matter with regard to the release of due salaries of the concerned employees is pending with the Finance Department of the State of Punjab and efforts shall be made to release their due salaries, within a period of two months.

In this view of the matter, learned counsel for the petitioners submits that the instant petition has been rendered infructuous.

Disposed of as having been rendered infructuous.

CM-8657-CWP-2026

Prayer in this application is for exemption from appearance of respondent No.1, in compliance of order dated 30.04.2026.

Since in compliance of the order dated 30.04.2026, Shri Ajit Balaji Joshi, Administrative Secretary to Government of Punjab, Department of Rural Development and Panchayats, Punjab, has appeared in Court today, the present application has become infructuous and disposed of as such.

(NAMIT KUMAR) JUDGE 25.05.2026 sanjeev Whether speaking/reasoned: Yes/No Whether reportable: Yes/No

SANJEEV KUMAR 2026.05.25 16:35 I attest to the accuracy and integrity of this document