HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE R. SUBHASH REDDY WRIT PETITION No.19131 of 2010 Dated: 06-08-2010 Between: Shaik Hussain Saheb. … Petitioner And The Joint Collector (CS), Chittoor District & others. … Respondents HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE R. SUBHASH REDDY WRIT PETITION No.19131 of 2010 ORDER: This writ petition is filed by the Proprietor of a rice mill, questioning the seizure of 77 bags of subsidy groundnut, 192 bags of Groundnut pods and 53 bags of Groundnut seeds, by conducting a panchanama on 15.07.2010. A perusal of the seizure panchanama shows that the seizure is affected on the ground that the commodities were stored illegally without possessing any valid documents in support of such storage. It is stated that pursuant to seizure report, proceedings are pending under Section 6-A of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955. It is submitted by the learned counsel for petitioner that the petitioner has stored the aforesaid stock, which was brought by the farmers, and that, giving the particulars of said farmers, he has already filed an application/claim petition before the 1st respondent, on 20th of July 2010, for release of the stock. It is his grievance that without considering his application/claim petition, steps are being taken to sell the seized stocks. A perusal of the panchanama shows that the seizure is affected on the ground that the stocks were unauthorisedly stored by the petitioner without any valid documents. In view of the statement made by the learned counsel for petitioner that he has already made an application before the 1st respondent-Joint Collector, who is the competent authority to pass orders under Section 6- A of the Essential Commodities Act, I deem it appropriate to dispose of the writ petition, directing the 1st respondent- Joint Collector to consider the representation/claim petition, dated 20th July 2010, filed on behalf of the petitioner, take appropriate decision thereon and communicate the same to the petitioner. Till such claim petition is considered, no steps shall be taken to sell the seized stocks. It is also made clear that after disposing of the claim petition filed by the petitioner, it is open for the respondents to take further steps in accordance with law. Subject to the above directions, the writ petition is disposed of. No order as to costs. ______________________ R. SUBHASH REDDY, J 6th August 2010 Note: Order by wire at party’s costs. (b/o) ajr