New Delhi: The Supreme Court has dismissed a petition seeking mandatory disclosure of ethanol content in petrol sold at fuel stations across India, saying the petitioner could approach the competent authority with his grievance, Bar and Bench reported.
A bench of Justices M M Sundresh and P B Varale dismissed the plea filed by advocate Narendra Kumar Goswami, who sought directions to display the exact ethanol percentage on every petrol dispensing nozzle.
“Petition dismissed. Open for petitioner to approach competent authority,” the Court said in its order.
During the hearing, the Bench questioned why the petitioner had directly approached the Supreme Court instead of first moving the High Court. Goswami argued that consumers have a right to know the ethanol content of the fuel they are purchasing.
Attorney General R Venkataramani, appearing for the Centre, opposed the plea and referred to earlier Supreme Court orders that rejected challenges to the government’s E20 policy.
Goswami clarified that he was not challenging the E20 policy but was seeking only mandatory disclosure of ethanol content. The Court, however, declined to entertain the petition.
E20 petrol contains 20% ethanol and 80% petrol and is part of the government’s strategy to reduce crude oil imports, cut emissions and promote domestically produced biofuels.
The wider rollout of E20 has raised concerns over vehicle compatibility, fuel efficiency and the performance of older vehicles. Although manufacturers have increasingly introduced E20-compatible vehicles, concerns remain about vehicles produced before the transition to higher ethanol blends.
The petition, therefore, sought greater transparency for consumers by requiring fuel stations to clearly identify the ethanol content of petrol rather than challenging the government’s ethanol-blending policy itself.
