Vijay Kumar Shukla, J.

The Writ Petition No.17245/2016 filed by the petitioner, Gyan Prakash Patel is in the form of a public interest litigation whereas other writ petitions have been preferred either by the ex office bearers of the Gram Panchayats or by the residents of the Gram Panchayats.

2. For the sake of clarity and convenience the facts adumbrated in the W.P. No.17245/2016 are taken up for adjudication of the lis in question. The challenge in the present petition is to the Notification, dated 26th September, 2016, issued by the State Government, in exercise of powers conferred under Section 5(1)(b) of the M.P. Municipalities Act, 1961 [hereinafter referred to as ‘the Act’]. By the impugned Notification, Nagar Parishad Manpur (Municipal Council, Manpur) has been notified to be constituted, by including the area of Gram Panchayats, Manpur, Sigudi, Semra and Govarde. The villages of these Gram Panchayats have been notified in the impugned Notification. Villages-Manpur, Kathar and Barbaspur of the Gram Panchayat Manpur and Village, Sigudi of Gram Panchayat Sigudi; and villages of Semra and Goverde have been notified to be merged in the area of newly constituted Nagar Paris