M.S.Liberhan, J.

1. This Letters Patent Appeal arises out of an order upholding Section 3(1) of Punjab Municipal Corporation Law (Extension of Chandigarh) Act, 1994 (hereinafter referred as 1994 Corporation Act), Section 1(2) of Capital of Punjab (Development and Regulation) Act, 1952 (hereinafter referred to as Capital Act) and the Notification dated 27.7.1994, specifying the territorial area of Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh, as well as extension of Capital Act to Union Territory of Chandigarh, where the existence of gram sabhas and gram panchayats ceased and thereby further vesting gram sabhas properties in the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh.

2. Broadly-speaking, same Notifications were challenged in civil writ petition No. 4701 of 1995 by the residents of Notified Area Committee, Mani Majra on the similar grounds. The principal questions of law raised in the civil writ petition and in the Letters Patent Appeal and other civil writ petitions Nos. 3218 of 1989, 754 of 1993 & 17778, 4423 and 4666 of 1994 can fairly be regarded as common. This Letters Patent Appeal, CWP No. 4710/1994 and other writ petitions are disposed of by this Judgment. Facts stated in the im