Supreme Court Rejects Plea: No Mandatory Ethanol Disclosure at Fuel Pumps

The Supreme Court of India today dismissed a petition seeking mandatory disclosure of ethanol content in petrol sold at fuel stations across the country. The plea, which argued for a consumer's right to know the composition and compatibility of their fuel, was rejected by a Bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and Prasanna B.

Varale.

Advocate Narendra Kumar Goswami, the petitioner-in-person, contended that consumers are entitled to understand what they are purchasing, likening it to checking ingredients on a packet of biscuits. He emphasized that such disclosure isn't just a "decorative consumer slogan" but a constitutional requirement, especially when the state creates a nationwide compulsory market for fuels like E20 petrol.

However, the Bench questioned Goswami's direct approach to the apex court, advising him to first move the jurisdictional High Court or approach a competent authority. "Who are you? You are practising where?

Go to the High Court and file it," the Bench remarked during the hearing, ultimately dismissing the plea but leaving open the option for Goswami to pursue his grievance through the appropriate channels.

Attorney General R. Venkataramani, representing the Centre, opposed the petition, labeling it as "proxy litigation." He also reminded the court that similar challenges to the government's ethanol-blending policy had been previously dismissed by the Supreme Court itself, reinforcing the view that the policy had already been upheld.

This decision means that, for now, fuel pumps are not legally compelled to display the precise ethanol percentage in petrol, a matter that some consumer advocates argue is crucial for vehicle maintenance and environmental awareness.

The government continues its push towards E20 petrol, which contains 20% ethanol, as part of its biofuel strategy.

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