THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE C.V.NAGARJUNA REDDY WRIT PETITION No.3298 of 2011 Date:14.02.2011 Between: Gotti Pati Ramaiah ..... Petitioner AND The Joint Collector, Ongole and others .....Respondents Counsel for the Petitioner: Sri I.Koti Reddy Counsel for Respondents: Assistant Government Pleader for Civil Supplies The Court made the following: ORDER: This writ petition is filed for a mandamus to declare the action of respondent No.3 in seizing stocks of 66.50 quintals of rice from the petitioner’s shop situated at Avulamanda Village, Kurichedu Mandal, Prakasam District, vide panchanama dated 01.02.2011 and sealing the shop as illegal and arbitrary. The petitioner is fair price shop dealer of Avulamanda Village, Kurichedu Mandal, Prakasam District. He has alleged that in his absence, the shop was inspected by the officials of Civil Supplies Department on 01.02.2011 and have allegedly found shortage of 10.75 quintals of rice from the shop under panchanama dated 01.02.2011. The petitioner further alleged that the shop was sealed. The grievance of the petitioner is that during the inspection, the inspecting officials have not entered the second room where the rice of 10.75 quintals was lying and that the said stock is still lying in the said room. The petitioner’s apprehension is that if seals are opened without proper verification of the stock, the said quantity of rice will not be considered and the petitioner is likely to be held guilty of shortage of stock. The petition filed by the petitioner with a request to respondent No.1 for ordering re-verification of the stock is stated to be pending. After hearing Sri I.Koti Reddy, learned counsel for the petitioner, and the learned Assistant Government Pleader for Civil Supplies, the grievance of the petitioner on the facts of the case appears justifiable. If the stock in one room is not taken into account, the petitioner’s interest would suffer. Inasmuch as seals were placed to the shop, it would be appropriate in the interests of justice that respondent No.3 opens the seals in the presence of the petitioner and makes a re- verification in order to give an opportunity to the petitioner to show that the quantity of 10.75 quintals of rice lying in the second room is part of the stock meant for public distribution. Accordingly, the Writ Petition is disposed of with the direction to respondent No.3 to make a re-verification of the stock in the presence of the petitioner and submit a report to respondent No.1 within a period of one week from the date of receipt of a copy of this order. As a sequel to disposal of the writ petition, W.P.M.P.No.4086 of 2011 filed by the petitioner for interim order is disposed of as infructuous. ________________________ C.V.NAGARJUNA REDDY, J 14th February, 2011 GHN