THE HON’BLE Ms. JUSTICE G. ROHINI WRIT PETITION NO.22804 OF 2003 ORDER : One Smt. T. Laxmamma, who is the mother of the petitioners 1 to 5 herein, filed a statement under Section 6 (1) of the Urban Land (Ceiling And Regulation) Act, 1976 before the 1st respondent - Special Officer/Competent Authority, Urban Land Ceiling, Hyderabad declaring the vacant land in her possession. After due enquiry, the 1st respondent by order dated 4.5.1995, made under Section 8 (4) of the Urban Land (Ceiling And Regulation) Act, 1976 (for short, ‘the Act, 1976’) declared that Smt. T. Laxmamma was a surplus-land holder to an extent of 10,939.16 sq. mts. in Sy.Nos.191 and 192 of Uppal Bhagath Village, Uppal Mandal, R.R. District. Aggrieved by the same, the petitioners herein preferred an Appeal before the 2nd respondent – Commissioner of Appeals and the Chief Commissioner of Land Administration, Hyderabad - which was dismissed by order dated 30.3.2001 confirming the order of the 1st respondent. It is stated that the petitioners came to know of the said order only on 29.9.2003 when a notice under Section 10 (5) of the Act, 1976 was served on them. Immediately thereafter they filed the present writ petition on 21.10.2003 seeking a declaration that the order of the 1st respondent dated 4.5.1995 as confirmed on Appeal by order dated 30.3.2001 as arbitrary and illegal. It was specifically pleaded by them that they are in actual physical possession and enjoyment of the land in question and this Court by order dated 27.10.2003 in W.P.M.P.No.28570 of 2003 granted interim stay of all further proceedings including dispossession of the petitioners pursuant to the impugned orders. Despite notice, no counter-affidavit is filed by the respondents. I have heard the learned counsel for both the parties. The learned counsel for the petitioners at the outset submitted that in view of the Urban Land (Ceiling & Regulation) Repeal Act, 1999 (Act No.15 of 1999) which was adopted by the Government of Andhra Pradesh w.e.f 22.04.2008, the impugned orders passed by the 1st and 2nd respondents ceased to be in force and therefore without going into merits of the case, the writ petition has to be allowed. The Urban Land (Ceiling & Regulation) Repeal Act,1999 (Central Act 15/1999) under which the Urban Land (Ceiling And Regulation) Act,1976 was repealed, has been adopted in the State of Andhra Pradesh by passing a resolution by the A.P. State Legislature on 27.03.2008. Accordingly G.O.Ms.No.603, Revenue (UC-I) Department, dated 22.4.2008 was issued bringing the Central Act 15 of 1999 into force in the State of Andhra Pradesh w.e.f. 27.3.2008. Subsequently, the Government of Andhra Pradesh issued certain instructions vide Circular Memo dated. 24.04.2008 with regard to the implementation of the Urban Land (Ceiling & Regulation) Repeal Act,1999. As per Sections 3 and 4 of the Act No. 15 of 1999, the repeal of the Principal Act shall not affect certain proceedings. The said sections may be extracted hereunder : Section 3. (1) The repeal of the Principal Act shall not affect :- (a) the vesting of any vacant land under sub- section (3) of Section 10, possession of which has been taken over by the State Government or any person duly authorized by the State Government in this behalf or the competent authority; (b) the validity of any order granting exemption under sub-section (1) of Section 20 or any action taken thereunder, notwithstanding any judgment of any court to the contrary; (c) any payment made to the State Government as a condition for granting exemption under sub-section (1) of section 20. (2) Where – (a) any land is deemed to have vested in the State Government under sub-section (3) of Section 10 of the Principal Act but possession of which has not been taken over by the State Government in this behalf or by the competent authority; and (b) any amount has been paid by the State Government with respect to such land, then, such land shall not be restored unless the amount paid, if any, has been refunded to the State Government. Section 4. All proceedings relating to any order made or purported to be made under the principal Act pending immediately before the commencement of this Act, before any court, tribunal or other authority shall abate: Provided that this section shall not apply to the proceedings relating to sections 11, 12, 13 and 14 of the principal Act in so far as such proceedings are relatable to the land, possession of which has been taken over by the State Government or any person duly authorized by the State Government in this behalf or by the competent authority. On a combined reading of the above provisions of the Central Act 15 of 1999 together with the instructions issued by the Government of Andhra Pradesh it is clear that all pending cases in different stages under Sections.8(1), 8(4), 10(1), 10(3) and Section.10(5) shall stand abated. The fact that as on today the petitioners are continuing in possession of the surplus land has not been disputed by the respondents. In the circumstances the Repeal Act 15 of 1999 is applicable to the instant case and accordingly the writ petition is disposed of declaring that the impugned orders passed by the 1st and 2nd respondents dated. 04.05.1995 and 30.03.2001 respectively ceased to be in force. No costs. ______________ G. ROHINI, J. Dt. 02.12.2008 gbs