The Punjab government has withdrawn the Punjab Unified Building Rules, 2025, with immediate effect, restoring the earlier regulatory framework governing construction and urban development across the state.
The decision was formalised through a notification issued by the department of housing and urban development. Exercising powers under the Punjab Regional and Town Planning and Development Act, 1995, the Punjab Municipal Act, 1911, the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act, 1976, and the Punjab Town Improvement Act, 1922, the governor of Punjab ordered the withdrawal of the rules.
According to the notification, the Punjab Unified Building Rules, 2025, which had been notified on December 15, 2025, stand withdrawn from the date of publication in the official gazette on April 27.
Following the withdrawal, the earlier regulatory framework has been reinstated. The Punjab Urban Planning and Development Building Rules, 2021, along with the Punjab Municipal Building Bylaws, 2018, will now remain in force and be treated as if the Unified Building Rules, 2025, had never been implemented. The government has also stated that it may issue further orders to address any difficulties that arise in implementing the notification.
The notification was issued by Vikas Garg, principal secretary, department of housing and urban development.
The move follows legal challenges and sustained objections from civil society groups, which raised concerns over the legality and potential impact of the proposed rules. The notification had been challenged in the Punjab and Haryana High Court by 93-year-old Sangrur resident, Harbinder Singh Sekhon, and others, as well as by the Public Action Committee (PAC), Mattewara.
Petitioners had flagged issues related to legislative competence, dilution of urban planning safeguards, fire safety concerns, and the absence of any scientific assessment of infrastructure capacity, including water supply, sewage systems, road networks, and emergency services.
Members of the Public Action Committee welcomed the withdrawal, terming it a step towards ensuring safer and more sustainable urban development. However, they reiterated concerns over several provisions in the scrapped rules.
The PAC had opposed the proposal allowing unlimited floor-area ratio and removal of height restrictions, warning that such provisions could lead to overcrowding and strain on civic infrastructure.
