1. By way of this petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, the petitioner has prayed for the following reliefs:-

“(A) To admit and allow this petition.

(B) To issue a writ of mandamus or a writ in the nature of mandamus or any other appropriate writ, order or direction directing the respondents to pass order restoring the land of survey no.496 of village Gotri, Taluka and District Vadodara admeasuring 1755 sq. mtrs. in favour of the petitioner in view of the provisions of Sec.3(2)(b) of the Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Repeal Act, 1999 especially in view of the NOC issued by the respondent No.3 for the reasons stated in the Memo of Petition and in the interest of justice and fairness of things.

(C) Pending admission, hearing and final disposal of the above Special Civil Application to restrain the respondents, their servants and agents from allotting the land bearing survey No. 496 admeasuring 1755 sq. mtrs. of village Gotri, Taluka and District Vadodara to anyone else except the petitioner.

(D) The Hon'ble Court may kindly be pleased to grant any other appropriate relief as the nature circumstances of the case may require.

(E) To award the cost of this petition.”

2. The facts which can be culled out from the record of the petition are as follows:-

2.1 The petitioner inherited agricultural land bearing survey No.455 admeasuring 5261 sq. mtrs. and land bearing survey No.496 admeasuring 6677 sq. mtrs. situated at Village Gotri, Taluka and District Vadodara.

2.2 The lands in question were subjected to the provisions of the Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Act, 1976 (hereinafter referred to as “the Act”) with effect from 17.2.1976 as the lands were situated within Vadodara Urban Agglomeration.

2.3 It appears from the record that the petitioner filed a declaration form as provided under Section 6 of the Act which came to be registered as declaration form No.ULC/1076/111/PD/PPT/Gotri with the competent authority. The petitioner made a declaration about his holding of urban lands within Vadodara Urban Agglomeration before the competent authority. It further appears that the form submitted by the petitioner came to be scrutinized by the competent authority and the competent authority thereafter issued a draft statement as provided under Section 8(3) of the Act. The record further indicates that the petitioner applied for exemption for agricultural purpose as provided under Section 20 of the Act vide application dated 24.5.1979. The competent authority granted exemption vide its order dated 15.10.1979.

2.4 It appears from the record that after granting of such exemption, Indian Petrochemical Corporation Ltd. (IPCL) requested the petitioner to give land bearing survey No.496 admeasuring 6677 sq. mtrs. for the purpose of construction of residential colony for the employees of IPCL. In view of such a request having been made, the petitioner filed an application with the competent authority for withdrawal of the exemption granted under Section 20 of the Act vide order dated 15.10.1979. The said application was accepted by the Government vide order dated 16.11.1984 and the exemption granted by the State Government under Section 20 of the Act stood withdrawn qua survey No.496 admeasuring 6677 sq. mtrs. It appears that thereafter the competent authority further processed the form and issued a final statement as provided under Sections 8(4) and 9 of the Act dated 19.9.1985. As per the said order, the competent authority declared that the land bearing survey No.496 admeasuring 6677 sq. mtrs. is a surplus land.

2.5 It appears that after the final statement, a notification as provided under Section 10(1) was issued on 30.10.1985 and the same was published in the official gazette on 14.11.1985. Thereafter, it reveals from the record that a notification as provided under Section 10(3) of the Act came to be published on 27.1.1986 and the same was published in the official gazette on 20.3.1986. It further appears from