JUDGMENT

R.C. Lahoti, J.-Leave granted.

2. Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, a Government of India Enterprise, issued an advertisement on 16.8.2000 inviting applications for appointment as LPG distributors for Bharat Gas at several locations mentioned in their advertisement, one of them being Palladam. One of the conditions of eligibility, as contained in the advertisement, was:-

"(g) The applicants should furnish, along with the application, details of land for godown facilities which he/she may make available for the Distributorship. Considering the location of the land from the point of view of commercial angle, applicants willing to transfer the land/facilities on ownership/long lease to BHARAT PETROLEUM CORPN. LTD., at the rates acceptable to BHARAT PETROLEUM CORPN. LTD., would be given preference. If an applicant, after selection, is unable to provide the land indicated by him/her earlier, within a period of 2 months, the allotment of the BHARAT GAS Distributorship made to him/her would be cancelled."

The controversy in the present case centers around the abovesaid eligibility requirement and it is, therefore, not necessary to notice other eligibility requirements.

3. The appe