Guwahati: The Supreme Court on Monday, August 31, declined to entertain a petition seeking mandatory disclosure of the ethanol content in petrol sold at fuel stations across India, with the petitioner alleging “silent compulsion” in the rollout of E20 fuel.
A Bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and Prasanna B. Varale was hearing a petition filed by advocate and petitioner-in-person Narendra Kumar Goswami, who argued that consumers have a right to know the composition, quality, standards and compatibility implications of the fuel they purchase.
Goswami contended that informing consumers about the ethanol content was essential, particularly when the government was implementing a nationwide ethanol-blending programme.
The Bench, however, declined to entertain the petition and said the petitioner could approach the competent authority with his grievance instead of directly moving the Supreme Court.
“Dismissed… It will remain open for the petitioner to approach the competent authority,” the Bench said in its brief order.
During the hearing, the court also questioned Goswami’s locus standi and asked why he had approached the Supreme Court directly instead of moving the jurisdictional High Court.
“Who are you? You are practising where? Go to the High Court and file it,” the Bench observed.
Goswami maintained that consumers should be informed about the ethanol content of petrol they purchase. He argued that consumers routinely receive information about the ingredients and composition of other products and should have similar information about fuel.
Attorney General R. Venkataramani, appearing for the Centre, opposed the petition and termed it “proxy litigation”. He also pointed out that the Supreme Court had previously rejected challenges to the government’s ethanol-blending policy.
The petitioner, however, clarified that he was not challenging the E20 policy itself but was seeking mandatory disclosure of the ethanol content to enable consumers to make informed choices.
The Supreme Court had in September last year dismissed a public interest litigation challenging mandatory ethanol blending and seeking continued availability of ethanol-free petrol for vehicles that may not be compatible with blended fuel.
The Centre had argued in that case that the ethanol-blending programme was part of India’s broader energy security and environmental strategy, aimed at reducing dependence on crude oil imports and lowering vehicular emissions.
The Union government amended the National Policy on Biofuels in 2022 to accelerate the phased blending of ethanol with petrol. The revised policy set blending targets of 12.06% for 2022-23, 14.6% for 2023-24, and 17.98% for 2024-25, before the programme reached the 20% blending milestone.
The government has since achieved its E20 blending target. However, the policy has faced criticism over concerns about its impact on older vehicles and fuel efficiency.
The Centre has maintained that there is no evidence that ethanol-blended petrol causes mechanical damage to vehicles and has defended the programme as part of its energy and environmental objectives.