- (1.) HEARD Sri Vinod Sinha, learned counsel for the petitioner and Sri Vikas Budhwar for the respondent -Corporation.
(2.) THE petitioner invokes the jurisdiction of this Court conferred by Article 226 of the Constitution of India assailing the order dated 23rd March, 2013 passed by the respondent No. 2 herein. The Territory Manager, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (hereinafter for the sake of brevity called 'Corporation'). In terms of the aforesaid order of 23rd March, 2013, the application of the petitioner for award of LPG Distributorship at Meerut under the open category, which was advertised on 22nd October, 2011, has been rejected on the following ground: "You do not have minimum liquid funds of Rs.15 lacs as on the date of application."
(3.) WHILE entertaining this writ petition, this Court on 18.04.2013 called upon the respondents to file their responses to the petition and further provided that any 'letter of intent', if issued during the pendency of the writ petition would abide by the result of the same. During the course of arguments, we were informed that no fresh settlement has been made by the Corporation. Sri Vinod Sinha, Advocate appearing for the petitioner contended that the ground taken in the impugned order namely, that the applicant did not have Rs.15 lacs in the Bank Account is factually incorrect and even otherwise unsustainable. He would submit with reference to documents brought on record of the writ petition as well as through the rejoinder affidavit that the account did carry to its credit a balance of more than Rs.15 lacs, although the account itself was jointly operated by the petitioner and his brother.;