THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE L.NARASIMHA REDDY WRIT PETITION No.36348 of 1998 ORDER: The petitioners own different extents of land in various survey numbers of Koritapadu Village of Guntur District. Since the village fell within urban agglomeration of Guntur, they filed declaration under Section 6(1) of the Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Act, 1976 (for short ‘the Act’). The Special Officer and Competent Authority, Urban Land Ceiling, Guntur, the third respondent, passed an order in the year 1993, holding that the petitioners are liable to surrender an extent of 61.474 square metres, as excess land. Further, the proceedings went up to the stage of Section 10(5) of the Act. At that stage, the petitioners filed an appeal before the appellate authority under Section 33 of the Act. The appeal was allowed on 21.03.1995 and the matter was remanded to the third respondent for fresh consideration and disposal. Accordingly, the third respondent passed an order, dated 23.08.1995. It was determined that the petitioners owned an extent of 47,113 square metres, in excess of ceiling limits. The petitioners filed an application under Section 20(1)(a) of the Act, before the first respondent, with a prayer to grant exemption. They pleaded that the land in question is being put to agriculture and that they do not have any other source of livelihood. Through an order, dated 06.05.1998, the first respondent rejected the application of the petitioners. Hence, this Writ Petition. Heard Sri G.Dharma Rao, learned counsel for the petitioners, and learned Government Pleader for Revenue (Assignment). It is, no doubt, true that the petitioners were found to be holding an extent of 47,113 square metres, in excess of ceiling limits. Several villages around the Guntur Town were included in the Urban agglomeration. The request of the petitioners to exempt their land from the purview of the Act, on account of the fact that the land is put to agriculture, did not find favour with the first respondent. Though learned counsel for the petitioners had urged several grounds, touching on merits, the necessity for this Court to deal with the same is obviated, on account of certain developments that have taken place ever since the Writ Petition was filed. The Parliament repealed the Act itself vide Act 59 of 1999. However, the repealing Act was to come into force, only when the Legislatures of the concerned State adopt a resolution under clause (2) of Article 252 of the Constitution of India. Such an eventuality has taken place in the State of A.P. only in the year 2008. The A.P. State Legislature passed a resolution on 27.03.2008 and a consequential notification was issued in G.O.Ms.No.603 dated 22.04.2008. Thereby, the repealing Act came into force in the State of A.P., with effect from 27.03.2008. With the repeal of the principal Act, all the proceedings initiated thereunder are abated. Section 3 has protected only such lands as have vested in the Government under Sections 10 and 11 of the Act. In the instant case, though the proceedings went up to the stage of 10(5) of the Act, in pursuance of Section 8(4) of the Act the appellate authority has set aside all of them. No proceedings under Section 10 were initiated subsequent to the order, dated 23.08.1995 passed by the third respondent under Section 8(4) of the Act. Therefore, the applications filed by the petitioners under Section 20 of the Act have virtually become superfluous and the lands of the petitioners are no longer governed by the provisions of the Act. The Writ Petition is accordingly allowed. There shall be no order as to costs. _______________________ L.NARASIMHA REDDY, J Dated:05.12.2008 GJ