In Brief
Two residents of a Haryana village illegally occupied panchayat land and sought regularization under Rule 12(4) of the Punjab Village Common Lands (Regulation) Rules, 1964. The rule permits regularization only where illegal occupation does not exceed 200 square yards. The petitioners occupied 757.37 and 239.48 square yards respectively—exceeding the limit. The authorities and High Court correctly rejected their claims. The Supreme Court held that the 200-square-yard cap includes all occupied area (built, open space, and appurtenant), and that unauthorized occupants have no inherent right to regularization—it is granted only under state policy and specific conditions, which the petitioners failed to satisfy.
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