Chandigarh, April 24 -- The Punjab and Haryana high court has directed both states to notify rules for the implementation of the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, within 15 days.

The bench of chief justice Sheel Nagu and justice Sanjiv Berry also directed the Centre to take a decision regarding the rules sent by the Chandigarh administration on April 21 within 15 days.

The rules drafted by Haryana were approved by the Centre on January 8, and by Punjab on April 17.

"We are compelled to issue writ of mandamus to the state of Punjab as well as the central government, since the state government and the UT administration have taken years together to formulate the rules and send them to the central government for approval," the court said while ...