Supreme Court Refuses Plea Seeking Mandatory Disclosure of Ethanol Content in Petrol

The Supreme Court has declined to entertain a petition seeking mandatory disclosure of the exact ethanol content in petrol sold at fuel stations. The plea sought clear labelling of ethanol percentages on dispensing nozzles, as well as their inclusion on fuel invoices, receipts and bills.

A bench of Justices MM Sundresh and PB Varale dismissed the petition under Article 32, while allowing petitioner Narendra Kumar Goswami to approach the appropriate High Court. The petitioner argued that consumers have a right to know the composition of the fuel they purchase and whether it is compatible with their vehicles.

The plea also sought an official database detailing vehicle compatibility with different ethanol blends and an independent expert committee to assess the real-world impact of E20 fuel on existing vehicles. The Centre opposed the petition, with Attorney General R Venkataramani calling it proxy litigation and pointing to a similar plea that had previously been dismissed.

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