THE HON’BLE MR JUSTICE L. NARASIMHA REDDY Writ Petition No.11490 of 2009 ORDER: The petitioner is a dealer of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, the respondent herein. It established a petroleum outlet at Amarapuram Village & Mandal, Anantapur District. It is stated that one of the outlets was damaged, when it was hit by a private bus in February, 2009. The officials of the respondent are said to have visited the outlet and caused repairs. The officials of the Weights and Measures (W & M) Department are sated to have inspected the petrol station, on 20-02-2009, and found that no seal exists on a dispensing unit of HSD ‘2’ L & T Pace Maker Model. Penalty of Rs.25,000/- is said to have been levied, and paid through challan dated 06-03-2009. The officials of the respondent visited the unit on 28-02-2009 and issued a notice dated 21-04-2009, pointing out certain irregularities, viz., absence of seals of M & T Department on the metering unit, on three separate dispensing units. The petitioner was required to stop the petroleum supplies, till the matter is decided one way or the other. The petitioner submitted its explanation. The grievance of the petitioner is that the respondent is not supplying the stock, though the licence and dealership in its favour are intact. Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner, and learned Standing Counsel for the respondent. The contention advanced on behalf of the petitioner is that the seals put by the W & M Department were damaged on a unit, that was being used, when it was hit by a bus, and the lapse in that regard was compounded by levying of Rs.25,000/-, as fine. It is urged that two other units were not being used for the past several years, and absence of seals thereon, was not even found fault with, by the W & M Department. The measurements of the products supplied by the respondent are standardized by the W & M Department. The absence or interference with the seals would not only constitute violation of the relevant provisions of law, but also would have an adverse effect upon the business, undertaken by the respondent, through its dealers. They are under a statutory obligation to ensure that the consumers of its product are delivered the same, in proper quality and measurement. Even now the petitioner does not dispute that the seals are absent on all the three units. Therefore, no exception can be taken to the direction issued by the respondent to the petitioner, to stop sale of the product, or denial of supplies to it. Hence, the writ petition is disposed of, directing that the petitioner shall be entitled to sell the petroleum products, only after the enquiry instituted against it, is concluded, and the seals are put on the units, by the concerned authorities of the W &M Department, of Government of Andhra Pradesh. The respondent shall endeavour to conclude the enquiry, within a period of six weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order. There shall be no order as to costs. _______________________ L. NARASIMHA REDDY, J. Dt.26-10-2009. KO