IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE, ANDHRA PRADESH AT HYDERABAD (Special Original Jurisdiction) MONDAY, THE TWENTY FOURTH DAY OF AUGUST TWO THOUSAND AND NINE PRESENT THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE GOPALA KRISHNA TAMADA WRIT PETITION NO : 17476 of 2009 Between: Velaga Kannayya Setty . .Petitioner And The Asst.Supply Officer, Narsipatnam Division,Visakhapatnam District and another. .. Respondents THE HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE GOPALA KRISHNA TAMADA WRIT PETITION NO.17476 OF 2009 ORDER : The petitioner filed this Writ Petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India seeking a writ of Certiorari to declare the proceedings of the 1st respondent dated 10.08.2009 seizing free sale rice of 25 quintals from the shop and 28 quintals of rice from godown totaling 53 quintals of rice as illegal and arbitrary. 2) The brief facts are that the petitioner is doing business in rice and on 10.08.2009 the 1st respondent, the Assistant Supply Officer, Narsipatnam, inspected the shop bearing Door No.10-73/1, near Government Junior College, Narsipatnam and seized 25 quintals and also seized 28 quintals of rice from the godown bearing Door No.10- 101/2, Panchayat Street, Narsipatnam on the ground that the godown door number was not mentioned in the licence of the petitioner. Basing on the report submitted by the 1st respondent, the Joint Collector, the 2nd respondent herein, initiated proceedings under Section 6-A of Essential Commodities Act. The petitioner submitted an application before the 2nd respondent to release said stocks, but the 2nd respondent did not release the seized stocks to the petitioner and he approached this Court and filed the present writ petition. 3) Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner and the learned Assistant Government Pleader for Civil Supplies. 4) Having considered the submissions, this Court is of the view that this writ petition can be disposed of at the stage of admission, directing the Joint Collector, respondent No.2, to complete the said proceedings at the earliest, preferably, within a period of eight (8) weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order. Till such time, the stocks seized on 10.08.2009 shall not be sold. Accordingly, the Writ Petition is disposed of at the stage of admission. There shall be no order as to costs. __________________________ (GOPALA KRISHNA TAMADA, J) August 24, 2009 KSH/AMD