K. NARASA RAJU Vs. UNION OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THERE are three petitioners, first petitioner is an ex -serviceman, petitioners 2 and 3 are war -widows. Petitioners intend to apply for grant of dealership in distribution of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (for short LPG) cylinders (domestic). This writ petition is instituted assailing certain clauses in the notification issued in the daily newspapers by the Petroleum companies. The notification issued was a combined notification concerning all the Petroleum companies. Petitioners challenge the clauses in the broacher of guidelines for selection of regular LPG distributors, notified by the oil companies as with reference to the policy of reservation to the defence personnel; prescription of educational qualifications; age restrictions and method of selection. Clause 2 deals with reservation. A new sub -category is now created which is called as Government Personnel category and defence personnel are grouped along with the Central /State Government and Central/State Government public sector undertaking employees and all of them put together are entitled to reservation of 8 % of the distributorship which include 2 % to SC/ST, 2% to OBC and 4% to open category.

(2.) WITH the consent of counsels for respective parties, this writ petition is disposed of at the admission stage.

(3.) LEARNED counsel for petitioner contended that the classification assigned to Ex -Servicemen/war widows is ex -facie illegal. He contended that there cannot be any comparison of defence personnel with the Government employees. Comparing persons who secured gallantry awards on account of service rendered by them in protecting the boundaries of the country are treated on par with the persons described as white collar employees working under the State or Central Government or their public sector undertakings and who might have suffered small disabilities, is wholly irrational and illogical.