IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE, ANDHRA PRADESH AT HYDERABAD (Special Original Jurisdiction) WEDNESDAY, THE TWENTY EIGHTH DAY OF OCTOBER TWO THOUSAND AND NINE PRESENT THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE GOPALA KRISHNA TAMADA WRIT PETITION NO : 23098 of 2009 Between: M/s. Jai Hanuman Dall and Oil Mill, Nandigama. ..... PETITIONER(S) AND The District Collector, Krishna District, at Machilipatnam. .....RESPONDENT(S) THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE GOPALA KRISHNA TAMADA WRIT PETITION NO : 23098 of 2009 ORDER : The petitioner is having a licence in Form-B issued under the provisions of the A.P. Scheduled Commodities Dealers (Licensing, Storage and Regulation) Order, 2008 and his business premises was inspected by the vigilance officials on 03-08-2009 and on the ground that there are certain variations, the stocks were seized and the same was reported to the 1st respondent-District Collector, Krishna District at Machilipatnam, who in-turn initiated proceedings under Section 6-A of the Essential Commodities Act (for brevity ‘the Act’). The petitioner approached the 1st respondent, and filed an application seeking release of the said stock and also the licence that were seized by the vigilance officials and the 1st respondent, by his order dated 15-10- 2009 ordered release of the entire commodity on a condition of the petitioner furnishing bank guarantee for an amount of Rs.5,67,775/- obtaining from any Nationalized Bank. Questioning the same, the petitioner approached this Court and filed the present writ petition. 2. Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner, the learned Government Pleader for Civil Supplies. 3. In my considered view, the 1st respondent is justified in passing such an order. But, however, as the learned counsel for the petitioner expressed that the petitioner is not in a position to furnish bank guarantee for the entire amount, as directed, the amount of Rs.5,67,775/- is reduced to an amount of Rs.3,00,000/- (Rupees three lakhs). Therefore, the 1st respondent-District Collector, Krishna District at Machilipatnam, is hereby directed to release the said stock in favour of the petitioner, as and when the bank guarantee for a sum of Rs.3.00 lakhs is furnished by the petitioner. 4. So far as the prayer of the petitioner regarding release of the food grains licence is concerned, as the 1st respondent has not passed any orders on the claim petition filed by the petitioner, he is hereby directed to consider the same and pass appropriate orders thereon in accordance with law. Further, the 1st respondent is also directed to complete the proceedings under Section 6-A of the Act, at the earliest, within a period of eight weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order. 5. With the aforesaid directions, the writ petition is disposed of, at the stage of admission. There shall be no order as to costs. _____________ October 28, 2009 kvr