JUDGMENT :

1. In this writ petition preferred under article 226 of the Constitution of India, the writ petitioner has challenged the action taken by the respondent-Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (‘HPCL’ or ‘the Corporation’) authorities vide the impugned letter dated 22.9.2018 (Annexure-6 to the writ petition) in respect of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (‘LPG’) distributorship under open category for the location at Katahguri, District Nagaon, whereby, the candidature of the petitioner has been rejected. The petitioner has sought setting aside of the impugned letter dated 22.9.2018 and the results of the re-draw, published on 7.10.2018, wherein the respondent No. 8 had emerged as the successful candidate in the re-draw of lots for the location at Katahguri, District Nagaon (Annexure-10 to the writ petition).

2. The relevant background facts, leading to the institution of this writ petition, may be exposited as under

2.1 The 3 public sector oil companies, viz., (i) Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (‘IOCL’); (ii) Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (‘BPCL’); and (iii) Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (HPCL) published an advertisement jointly on 12.6.2018 inviting applications for LPG distributorships in respect of 66 Nos. of locations. Amongst the 66 Nos. of locations, serial No. 57 was in respect of the location - Katahguri, Gaon Panchayat-Katahguri, Sub-Division - Dhing, Part Batadraba, District Nagaon in the State of Assam. The type of LPG distributorship is Durgam Kshetriya Vitrak (‘DKV’). In the said advertisement, the said location has been reserved for open category.

2.2 The petitioner has stated that he had the requisite qualification and eligibility criteria to apply for LPG distributorship for the said location at Katahguri and in response to the said advertisement dated 12.6.2018, he applied on-line in terms of the advertisement vide his application bearing reference No. HPC12602115104072018. The petitioner received an e-mail on 31.7.2018 from the respondent No. 3, whereby, he was informed that he had been declared as the successful candidate in the draw of lots conducted on 30.7.2018 for selection of LPG distributorship for the location at Katahguri, District Nagaon. By the said letter, he was asked to deposit an amount of Rs. 40,000 in line with the provisions of the Unified Guidelines for Selection of LPG distributors (‘the Unified Guidelines’). The petitioner was also informed about a set of documents which he was required to be kept ready and the same would be verified during the Field Verification of Credentials (‘FVC’). The petitioner accordingly, deposited the amount of Rs. 40,000. The Field Verification of Credentials (‘FVC’) was carried out by the concerned Committee at the site on 29.8.2018 and after such verification, the Committee had opined that the land offered by the petitioner in his application did not fall under the advertised location and it would stand rejected. After the FVC, the petitioner received the impugned letter dated 22.9.2018, whereby, the petitioner was intimated by the Chief Regional Manager of the respondent-Corporation that upon scrutiny/field verification of the information submitted by the petitioner in his application, variance was found to the effect that the land offered by the petitioner for godown was outside the advertised location. The candidature of the petitioner was thereby rejected, and it was informed that the amount of Rs. 40,000 deposited with the respondent-Corporation stood forfeited in line with the terms and conditions of the advertisement. After rejection of the candidature of the petitioner, the respondent- HPCL authorities carried out a re-draw of lots amongst the remaining eligible candidates on 11.10.2018 after the publication of a notice in the newspaper about such re-draw of lots on 7.10.2018. After re-draw of lots, the results were declared and in the said re-draw of lots, the respondent No. 8 has been declared to be the successful candidate for award of LPG dist