The Judgment of the Court was delivered by S.C. AGRAWAL, J.- Leave granted.

2. In the past the telephone directory used to be printed by the Department at its own cost for the purpose of supplying the same to the telephone subscribers. It was an item of expenditure. Today, the telephone directory has become a source of revenue for the State. This has become possible by making it a medium for advertising by industrial and commercial concerns. A section in distinct "yellow pages" devoted exclusively to advertisements is contained in the directory. The person who undertakes the printing of the directory procures the advertisements from private parties and collects the charges for the same. In return, he supplies a prescribed number of directories free of cost to the Department and also pays to the Department a certain amount by way of royalty. The contract for printing and publishing the telephone directory is normally awarded by inviting tenders and selecting the best offer from among the tenders which are so received. This practice has been in vogue for some time. In Sterling Computers Ltd. \. M & N Publications Ltd. this Court has dealt with the award of such a contract for printing