IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE, ANDHRA PRADESH AT HYDERABAD (Special Original Jurisdiction) FRIDAY, THE ELVENTH DAY OF JULY TWO THOUSAND AND EIGHT PRESENT THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE GODA RAGHURAM WRIT PETITION NO : 14902 of 2008 Between: Karamsetty Venkateswarlu, S/o. Adisheshaiah, Veeraraghavunikota Village, Lingasamudram Mandal, Prakasam District. ..... PETITIONER AND 1 The Joint Collector, Prakasam District, Ongole. 2 The Tahsildar, Lingasamudram Mandal, Prakasam District. .....RESPONDENTS Petition under Article 226 of the constitution of India praying that in the circumstances stated in the Affidavit filed herein the High Court will be pleased to issue a Writ or order more particularly one in the nature of Writ of Mandamus or an appropriate Writ or order declaring the action of the 2nd respondent in seizure of the rice and in action of the 1st respondent in disposing of the 6A proceeding in Rc/CS1/6A/1/2008 & in releasing the seized stocks in favour fo the petitioner, as illegal, irregular, arbitrary and unconstitutional and against to the principles of natural justice and contrary to the provisions of Essential Commodities Act and pass such other orders. Counsel for the Petitioner:MR.KOTI REDDY IDAMAKANTI Counsel for the Respondents: GP FOR CIVIL SUPPLIES The Court made the following : THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE GODA RAGHURAM WRIT PETITION NO :14902 of 2008 ORDER: The grievance in this writ petition is as to the failure of the 1st respondent in disposing of the representation submitted by the petitioner in March, 2008 seeking release of the commodities seized on 3.3.2008 from House No. 4-70, V.R. Kota Village, Prakasam District. The seizure was effected on allegation that a large quantity of rice is stored without a licence. A case under Section 6-A of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 (for short ‘the Act’) has been initiated. Petitioner claims to have purchased the rice seized at an auction conducted by the Tashsildar, Gudlur Mandal; of the commodity which was seized and an interim order of disposal was passed under the provisions of the Act and claims further to have stored the said quantity of rice in the premises of his business partner Kankanala Narasimha Rao of V.R. Kota Village. Since the petitioner states to have submitted a representation in March, 2008 for interim release of the seized commodities, the 1st respondent is required to pass an order on such representation, expeditiously. The writ petition is accordingly disposed of directing the 1st respondent to expeditiously and in any event, within seven days from the date of receipt of a copy of this order, pass an order on the petitioner’s representation for release of the seized commodities. The 1st respondent will consider the representation of the petitioner on its own merits, without being in any manner influenced by any observations made herein, which are made in the context of the facts narrated by the petitioner. The writ petition is disposed of as above. No costs. ____________________ GODA RAGHURAM,J DATE: 11th July, 2008 Note: Furnish c.c. urgently B/o pnb