Apex court refuses to hear PIL for mandatory disclosure of ethanol content in petrol at fuel pumps

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a PIL seeking a directive to the Centre and others to ensure mandatory and uniform labelling on every dispensing nozzle at petrol pumps, disclosing the exact percentage of ethanol in petrol.

A bench of Justices MM Sundresh and PB Varale said it is not going to entertain the PIL under Article 32 (right to approach Supreme Court directly) and the petitioner Narendra Kumar Goswami can approach the jurisdictional high court for relief.

Attorney General R Venkataramani, appearing for the Centre, submitted that it is a proxy litigation as a petition on a similar issue has been dismissed by the court.

"The petitioner wants government of India to be answerable to him," the AG submitted.

Goswami contended that he has the right to know the content of the petrol given at fuel pumps.

"Not only me but citizens at large should be informed about the composition of the fuel given to them," he submitted.

The bench asked Goswami, appearing in-person, to raise his contentions before the high court.

Plea seeks ethanol details on fuel invoices

Goswami has also sought a direction that every fuel invoice should specifically and legibly state the percentage of ethanol in the petrol sold.

The plea also sought greater information for vehicle owners about the compatibility of different ethanol blends.

"Direct the respondents (Centre and others) to prepare and publish within a stipulated time an official, public, vehicle-wise compatibility database searchable by manufacturer, model, engine type and year of manufacture, indicating the suitability or otherwise of various ethanol blends for each vehicle," his plea said.

Petition seeks E20 impact assessment

The petitioner has also sought the constitution of an independent expert committee comprising representatives from the ministries of petroleum and natural gas, road transport and highways, the Bureau of Indian Standards and others, including independent automobile engineers.

The proposed panel would examine the real-world compatibility of E20 fuel across the existing vehicle fleet and submit a public report.

The plea said the committee should also assess the impact of E20 on fuel efficiency, engine longevity and maintenance costs, along with warranty and insurance implications.

It further sought an assessment of the net environmental footprint, including tail-pipe emissions and water consumption linked to ethanol production, as well as concerns over food security and diversion of crops for feed.