Supreme Court Dismisses Plea Seeking Mandatory Disclosure of Ethanol Content in Petrol Sold at Fuel Stations

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday (August 31) refused to entertain a petition which sought mandatory disclosure of the ethanol content in petrol sold at fuel stations across the country. The petition, filed by advocate and petitioner-in-person Narendra Kumar Goswami, alleged an element of “silent compulsion” in the rollout of ethanol, reported The Hindu.

A bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and Prasanna B. Varale questioned Goswami’s locus standi and asked why he had approached the Supreme Court directly instead of the jurisdictional high court.

“Who are you? You are practising where? Go to the high court and file it,” said the court.

The petitioner contended that consumers were entitled to know the composition, quality, standards and compatibility implications of the fuel they purchase.

The petition added that such disclosure was not a “decorative consumer slogan but a constitutional requirement when the state itself creates a nationwide compulsory market”.

Appearing for the Union government, attorney general R. Venkataramani opposed the petition and termed it as “proxy litigation”. He pointed out that the Supreme Court had previously rejected challenges to the government’s ethanol-blending policy.

“We have the right to know what we are purchasing… Even when we buy a packet of biscuits, we know the ingredients,” petitioner Goswami submitted.

“I am not challenging the policy. I just want to know. I have the right to know… Last time, the Attorney General said it was an experiment. After that, they gave a clarification,” the petitioner added, reported The Hindu.

However, the top court declined to entertain the petition.

“Dismissed… It will remain open for the petitioner to approach the competent authority,” said the court in its order.

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