Supreme Court refuses to entertain plea seeking ethanol percentage blended in petrol at pumps
PTC News Desk: The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a petition seeking mandatory disclosure of ethanol percentage blended in petrol at fuel stations and on fuel bills and receipts. A Bench comprising Justices MM Sundresh and Prasanna B Varale declined to entertain the plea under Article 32 and granted liberty to the petitioner, Narendra Kumar Goswami, to approach the concerned High Court with his grievances.
What Did the Plea Seek?
The petition asked authorities to make the ethanol content in petrol clearly visible at every fuel station. It wanted the exact percentage of ethanol to be displayed prominently and consistently on all petrol dispensing machines.
It also sought a rule requiring petrol bills, receipts and invoices to mention the percentage of ethanol in the fuel purchased.
The petitioner argued that customers have a right to know exactly what is being added to the petrol they buy. The plea also called for an official public database showing which ethanol blends are compatible with different vehicles. The database would include details such as the vehicle manufacturer, model, engine type and year of manufacture.
The petition further asked the government to create a clear transition plan for older vehicles and vehicles that cannot safely use higher ethanol-blended petrol. It also suggested making lower-ethanol petrol available wherever it was technically, financially and logistically possible.
Another major demand was the creation of an independent expert committee. The proposed panel would include representatives from the Petroleum Ministry, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Bureau of Indian Standards, ARAI/ICAT, consumer groups, automobile engineers, fuel experts, environmental and public-health specialists, and water-resource experts.
- With inputs from agencies
