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IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA

CIVIL  APPELLATE JURISDICTION  

CIVIL APPEAL NOS. 7704-7705   OF 2013

(Arising out of SLP(C) Nos.19572-19573/2012)

RAJIBA LOACHAN PATRO                         Appellant(s)

                    :VERSUS:

BHARAT PETROLEUM CORPORATION OF INDIA & ORS.   Respondent(s)

O R D E R

Leave granted.

2. Heard Mr. P.N. Mishra, learned senior counsel  

appearing for the appellant, and the counsel for the  

respondents.  

3. This appeal seeks to challenge the judgment  

and order dated 17.11.2011 passed by the High Court  

of Orissa in Writ Petition (C) No.20630 of 2010,  

whereby the High Court has allowed the writ petition  

filed  by  respondent  No.5  herein.  The  appellant

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sought  review  of  that  order  by  filing  Review  

Petition No.64 of 2012 which was rejected by order  

dated 21.3.2012. This order is also challenged in  

the present appeal.  

4. The short facts giving rise to the filing of  

this  appeal  are  this  wise.  The  first  respondent  

Bharat  Petroleum  Corporation  had  issued  an  

advertisement for allotment of L.P.G. Dealership in  

various  districts  of  Orissa  under  various  

categories. Respondent No.5 applied for a location  

known as Jagannath Prasad in Ganjam District which  

was  reserved  for  a  Scheduled  Caste  candidate.  

Respondent No.5 belongs to Scheduled Caste. One of  

the requirements for the L.P.G. dealership was that  

the  person  concerned  ought  to  have  land  at  that  

particular place and he should have document also in  

support, showing that he is in possession of that  

land as on 20.11.2009, the last date for submitting  

the applications. Respondent No.5 did not have the  

requisite  document  showing  possession  of  the  

concerned  parcel  of  land  on  that  date  and,  

therefore, he could not be found eligible for the  

L.P.G. Dealership. The other candidates who applied

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for L.P.G. Dealership at Jagannath Prasad in Ganjam  

District were also not found suitable.  As per the  

Policy of the Bharat Petroleum Corporation, it has  

been specified that if none of the candidates are  

found suitable for the location reserved for SC/ST  

category, it will be re-advertised under the open  

category. The respondent company, therefore, issued  

a fresh advertisement on 31.10.2010 for allotment of  

L.P.G.  Dealership  in  such  locations  under  open  

category.

5. It  is  this  second  advertisement  which  was  

challenged  by  respondent  NO.5  by  filing  a  writ  

petition before the High Court. This petition has  

come to be allowed by the Orissa High Court. The  

appellant, who is an open category candidate, sought  

review of that order by filing Review Petition No.64  

of  2012  and  that  review  petition  has  come  to  be  

rejected  vide  order  dated  21.3.2012.  Both  these  

orders are challenged in this appeal.    

6. Having  heard  both  the  counsel  for  the  

parties, it is very clear that the High Court was in  

error  in  allowing  the  writ  petition  filed  by

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respondent No.5, for the reason that respondent No.5  

was not owning the concerned parcel of land at that  

particular place. What is important is to have a  

parcel of land at the  particular place where L.P.G.  

Dealership  is  to  be  allotted.  He  claims  to  have  

owned another parcel of land after the last date of  

the  first  advertisement  i.e.  20.11.2009.  In  the  

circumstances, we set aside the judgment and order  

passed by the High Court. The second advertisement  

is valid and steps in consequence thereto are held  

justified.  The  writ  petition  filed  by  respondent  

No.5,  being  Writ  Petition  No.20630  of  2010,  will  

stand dismissed.  Hence, the Review Petition will  

stand  disposed  of  as  not  requiring  any  order  

thereon.  The appeal is allowed accordingly, though  

without any order as to costs.         

..........................J (H.L. GOKHALE)

.........................J  (J. CHELAMESWAR)

New Delhi; August 30, 2013.