THE HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE N.V. RAMANA WRIT PETITION No.12523 of 2010 ORDER: This writ petition is filed seeking to declare the action of the respondents in seizing the stock of the petitioner by conducting a Panchanama dated 03.03.2010 and subsequently issuing auction notice dated 01.06.2010 proposing to sell the seized stock as arbitrary and illegal, and consequently to direct the respondents not to sell the seized stock. The petitioner, having obtained license dated 01.12.2009, which is valid till date, for conducting business of purchase, storage and selling of schedule commodities in wholesale/retail etc., conducting business as such. However, on 03.03.2010, the third respondent conducted panchanama in the petitioner’s premises and seized stock on the allegation that there is violation of the stock when compared with the ground stock and the stock register. It is stated that the third respondent ignored the fact that as per the Andhra Pradesh Schedule Commodities Dealers (Licensing, Storage and Regulation) Order, 2008, there can be 10% permissible variation in the stock when compared with the ground stock and the stock register. Therefore, the petitioner filed a petition on 05.03.2010 under Section 6-A of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 (for short ‘the Act’) before the first respondent for release of the seized stock. The grievance of the petitioner is that without giving any opportunity to it, while the proceedings under Section 6-A of the Act are pending, the auction notice dated 01.06.2010 has been issued by the second respondent. It is admitted by the learned counsel for both the parties that the proceedings initiated under Section 6-A of the Act against seizure dated 03.03.2010 are pending before the first respondent and in the meanwhile, the respondents have contemplated action by auction notice dated 01.06.2010. In view of pendency of proceedings under Section 6-A of the Act, it would suffice to dispose of the writ petition with a direction to the first respondent –Collector to complete proceedings under Section 6-A of the Act, as early as possible, preferably within a period of four weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order. Pending proceedings under Section 6-A of the Act, the seized stock shall not be sold. With the above directions, the Writ petition is disposed of. No order as to costs. _______________________ N.V. RAMANA, J 03rd June, 2010 Note: Issue wire by tomorrow. (B/o) GHN