( 1 ) IN this writ application under Article 226 of the Constitution of India the validity of Section 4e of the West Bengal Land Reforms Act, 1955 (inserted by the West Bengal Land Reforms Amended Act, 1981) is under challenge.

( 2 ) WRIT petitioners' case in short is that Smt. Binapani Pal and Smt. Srilata Pal were the owners of 2. 53 acres of land in different plots described in paragraph 2 of the writ petition in Mouza Salap, J. L. No. 52, P. S. Domjur, Dist. Howrah. They purchased these lands in the year 1961-62 and since then using the land for non-agriculture purpose. They have divided the land into small plots for residential and commercial purpose. The area concerned has developed into a residential and commercial area. At times the lands in question were used as kitchen garden and vegetables were sometimes grown for domestic use. Out of these lands petitioners purchased several portions by registered deeds on different dates as narrated in paragraph 4 of the writ petition. These purchases were made in the year 1980. The petitioners entered into an agreement for sale of the case lands and agreement for sale was executed. When they had been to the Sub-