JUDGMENT :

1. The writ petition under article 226 of the Constitution of India is preferred by the writ petitioner for setting aside and quashing of a letter dated 13.11.2018 issued by the respondent No. 3, i.e., the Territory Manager (LPG), North East LPG Territory, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited whereby the application of the petitioner offered for distributorship of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) for the subject location, Pipulbari Part-I, District - South Salmara - Mankachar, Assam was rejected and for a direction to the respondent-authorities in Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited to accept the application of the writ petitioner for the aforementioned subject location.

2. The genesis behind the writ petition is an advertisement published jointly by three Public Sector Oil Marketing Companies, viz., Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (‘IOCL’), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (‘BPCL’) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (‘HPCL’) for selection of distributors of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (‘LPG’) in 93 locations in different districts of the State of Assam.

3. By the said advertisement published in the daily newspaper, “Asomiya Pratidin”, in its issue dated 25.5.2018, the Public