Supreme Court Refuses PIL Seeking Mandatory Ethanol Percentage Labels On Fuel Nozzles, Invoices; Directs Petitioner To HC

The Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking mandatory and uniform labelling on fuel dispensing nozzles, indicating the precise percentage of ethanol in petrol. A bench of Justices MM Sundresh and PB Varale clarified that it would not entertain the PIL under Article 32 (the right to directly approach the Supreme Court).

The petitioner, Narendra Kumar Goswami, can now approach the relevant high court for redressal. Attorney General R Venkataramani, representing the Centre, argued that the case was a form of proxy litigation, as a similar petition had previously been dismissed by the court. Goswami insisted that the government should be answerable to him and that citizens have the right to know the composition of fuel provided at fuel pumps.

The bench instructed Goswami to present his arguments before the high court. Goswami also requested a directive for every fuel invoice to explicitly and clearly state the percentage of ethanol in the petrol sold, along with a searchable compatibility database by vehicle details, assessing real-world vehicle compatibility of E20 blends for the existing vehicle fleet, and examining the impact on fuel efficiency, engine longevity, maintenance costs, warranty and insurance implications, net environmental footprint, food security, and feed diversion concerns related to ethanol production.