Judgment

KRISHNA IYER, J.:- The appellant was elected as the president of the panchayat samithi of Bapatla on July 18, 1970. The Government for reasons set out in its communication issued, a show-cause notice dated the 26th September, 1972, asking the president to submit an explanation within 21 days of the receipt of that notice why he should not be removed. Thereafter, various communications and other proceedings took place with which we are not concerned in the light of the final order that we are passing. We have suggested a course to the parties, which counsel fairly agreed, was reasonable in the circumstances of the case.

2. The appellant has contended that the order removing him from his office as the president was passed without hearing him and the respondent State has contested his ground taking up the stand that an opportunity has been afforded but has not been taken advantage of. We are not going into the merits of the matter, because we feel that the ends of justice would be served by the following direction:

The order impugned will be provisionally maintained, but the appellant will be given an opportunity by the State government to make his representation against the cha