THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE C.V.NAGARJUNA REDDY WRIT PETITION No.6560 of 2011 Date:15.03.2011 Between: Appana Venkata Ramana and another ..... Petitioners AND The State of Andhra Pradesh, represented by the District Collector, Visakhapatnam and others .....Respondents Counsel for the Petitioners: Sri C. Upendra Counsel for Respondent Nos.1 to 3: Assistant Government Pleader for Civil Supplies Counsel for Respondent No.4: Government Pleader for Agriculture The Court made the following: ORDER: Feeling aggrieved by the inaction of respondent No.2 in completing the proceedings under Section 6-A of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 (for short ‘the Act’), the petitioners filed the present writ petition. The petitioners claim to be agriculturists owing Acs.7.38 cents and Acs.6.62 cents of lands respectively situated at M.Koduru Village, V.Madugula Mandal, Visakhapatnam District. It is their pleaded case that when they sought to store their paddy grown in their agricultural fields in a godown under Raitu Bandhu Pathakam of Agriculture Market Committee, Chodavaram, as there was no space available in the said godown, they have allegedly stored the stock in a private godown with the help of Mandal Agriculture Officer. Alleging that storing of the said paddy was in violation of the provisions of the Act and the Control Orders made thereunder, the stock was seized on 03.07.2010 and proceedings under Section 6-A of the Act have been initiated. The petitioners claim to have made several representations to the respondents for release of the seized stock, but to no avail. The petitioners pleaded that respondent No.2 has not made any effort so far to proceed with the enquiry under Section 6-A of the Act and pass a final order. It is their further case that not even a show-cause notice was issued under Section 6-B of the Act even though about seven and half months had elapsed from the time of the seizure of the stock. After hearing the learned Assistant Government Pleader for Civil Supplies and perusing the record, I am of the opinion that respondent No.2 shall dispose of the proceedings under Section 6-A of the Act expeditiously as there can be no justification to detain the seized stock without finalizing the proceedings and passing the final order. In this view of the matter, respondent No.2 is directed to complete the proceedings under Section 6-A of the Act within a period of two months from the date of receipt of a copy of this order after following the procedure prescribed under Section 6-A and 6-B of the Act. Subject to the above direction, the Writ Petition is disposed of. As a sequel to disposal of the writ petition, W.P.M.P.No.8165 of 2011 filed by the petitioners for interim relief is disposed of as infructuous. ________________________ C.V.NAGARJUNA REDDY, J 15th March, 2011 Note: Issue CC in one week. (B/o) GHN