Where a Manual requires three consecutive legal notices before an allotment may be cancelled, what are the essential elements of a 'legal notice', and must the communication be captioned as one?

The expression 'legal notice' connotes an unambiguous communication along with legal consequences to a noticee who is alleged to be in default. Its essential elements are a clear and concise set of facts conveying the relevant circumstances, which is also fulfilled when reference is made to earlier communications between the parties; intimation of any impending legal obligation or breach; the intention of the issuing party to hold the other party liable to appropriate legal action or charge; and that the communication in toto be unambiguous and not mislead or suppress material information. A communication is not disqualified merely because it is not captioned a legal notice, and no prejudice is caused thereby.

Manual for Marketing and Management of Industrial Areas — Clause 2.15 — Clause 3.04(vii) — Legal notice — Cancellation of allotment — Public Trust Doctrine — Allocation of public resources — Art. 21 — Manual for Marketing and Management of Industrial Areas — Clause 3.04(vii) — Essential elements of a legal notice — Held: A 'legal notice' connotes an unambiguous communication along with legal consequences to a noticee alleged to be in default, conveying the facts, the impending breach and the intention to hold the other party liable. A communication not captioned a legal notice is not thereby disqualified. (¶22, 23) Manual for Marketing and Management of Industrial Areas — Clause 2.15 — Possession only after registration of lease deed — Held further: Where the Manual fixes the date of possession only after registration of the lease deed, registration must precede possession. An allottee who fails to furnish the documents for registration is itself to blame for non-delivery of possession. (¶15, 16) Cancellation of allotment — inherent right of the allotment authority — judicial intervention circumscribed — Held further: Land allotment authorities possess the inherent right to cancel allotments upon violation of stipulated conditions. Judicial intervention in matters concerning land revocation should be circumscribed to ensure adherence to procedural safeguards. (¶20) Public Trust Doctrine — Art. 21 — Allocation of industrial land without a competitive process — Held further: Allocation of a substantial tract of industrial land without a competitive process fundamentally violates the Public Trust Doctrine, which demands proper procedure and substantive accountability in public resource allocation. Cancellation upheld and appeals dismissed; the subsequent allotment annulled and directions issued. (¶33, 36)

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