THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE L.NARASIMHA REDDY Writ Petition No.7270 of 2008 ORDER: The petitioner was elected as one of the Directors of the Managing Committee of Sri Vijayalaxmi Primary Agricultural Co-operative Society Limited, Gopavaram, 3rd respondent herein. The president of the society issued show cause notice, dated 08.02.2008, to the petitioner, alleging that he failed to attend the meetings of the managing committee on 31.03.2007, 11.05.2007, 01.06.2007, 04.07.2007, 08.08.2007 and 03.11.2007 and that the managing committee has resolved to seek his explanation, as to why he shall not be declared as disqualiﬁed. The petitioner states that he did not receive the show cause notice and this was followed by an order, dated 25.02.2008, through which the managing committee declared that he ceased to be a Member of the committee. The petitioner got issued a notice to the society and the Secretary gave a reply, dated 27.03.2008 denying the allegations. The petitioner challenges the action of the respondents in disqualifying him. Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner, learned Government Pleader for Co-operation, and the learned counsel for respondent No.3 Section 21-B of the A.P. Co-operative Societies Act directs cessation of membership, in case a member of the committee fails to attend three consecutive meetings of the committee. However, even after such cessation, he can be reinstated. The Section is silent as to the authority, that is competent to declare that a member has ceased to hold his oﬃce, or the procedure to be followed therefor. This Court would have considered the feasibility of undertaking further discussion on this aspect, but for the fact that there is a strong ground that militates against the respondents, in the context of disqualiﬁcation of the petitioner. The show cause notice, dated 08.02.2008, was received by the petitioner only on 28.02.2008. In that view of the matter, the petitioner did not have an occasion to submit his explanation within time. The ﬁnal order, dated 25.02.2008 was passed on the assumption that the petitioner failed to submit explanation. On this short ground, the writ petition is allowed and the impugned order, dated 25.02.2008 is set aside. The petitioner is granted two (2) weeks’ time from today to submit explanation to the show cause notice, dated 08.02.2008. There shall be no order as to costs. _________ 17.11.2008 JSU THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE L.NARASIMHA REDDY Writ Petition No.7270 of 2008 Date: 17.11.2008 JSU