( 1 ) THE question for consideration in this writ petition is whether the land certified to be agricultural land on the date of commencement of the Urban land (Ceiling and Regulation) Act, 1976 (for short, the Act ), would continue to retain its character as agricultural land even after it was divided into house sites and sold? The petitioner was the pattadar in respect of agricultural lands covered by Sy. Nos. 63, 71 and 72 of Karmanghat village within the urban agglomeration of Hyderabad. On the coming into force of the Act, she and her four daughters and one son filed separate declarations under Section 6 (1) of the act in respect of the lands, before the Spedal Officer and Competent Authority, urban Land Ceiling, Hyderabad, (for short, the Special Officer ). As the petitioner had a doubt regarding the nature of the land, she obtained a certificate from the Special Officer u/section 2 (o) of the Act read with the clarification issued by the Government in their memo No. 6922/uc. 1/76. 4 dated 31-1-1977, to the effect that the provisions of the Act are not attracted in respect of the above land. The Special Officer declared this land as agricultural land by his ord