The Supreme Court Monday dismissed a plea that challenged the Centre’s move to blend petrol with ethanol and sought the option of non-blended petrol for consumers whose vehicles were not compatible.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai and Justice Vinod Chandran dismissed the petition after the Centre opposed it, claiming that the policy was formulated after considering all relevant aspects.
In his plea, Advocate Akshay Malhotra said that a majority of vehicles manufactured before April 2023, as well as some BS-VI compliant vehicles from the last two years, are not compatible with the blended fuel, and the absence of any option violates their fundamental rights.
Appearing for the petitioner, Senior Advocate Shadan Farasat submitted that he was not against ethanol-blending, but was only requesting that consumers be given the option to buy ethanol-free petrol, as vehicles manufactured before 2023 are not compatible with it.
Farasat said that as of now, only E20 is available and that too without any notice. He said vehicles are not being manufactured with E20 fuel compatibility, but a large chunk of those that are not compatible are getting damaged. He cited a 2021 NITI Aayog report in this regard.
He also pointed out that there is a problem of a 6 per cent drop in fuel efficiency due to the use of blended fuel. “Let E20 be there. We are not against that. But there should be a choice of what was available previously as well, and inform the consumer,” he submitted.
Opposing the plea, Attorney General R Venkataramani said, “I am saying with some responsibility that the petitioner is just a name lender and that a lobby is behind it”.
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Pointing out that it was benefiting the country’s sugarcane farmers, he asked, “Will people outside the country dictate what kind of fuel India should use?”.
The court then dismissed the petition.
