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SC junks plea against E20 petrol; govt asks 'will outsiders dictate what fuel to use'
The petitioner, advocate Akshay Malhotra, cited a NITI Aayog report to point at concerns regarding the lack of availability of E10 or E0 petrol option.
The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a PIL challenging the Centre's Ethanol Blending Programme, which mandates the sale of E20 petrol.
A bench of Chief Justice BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran heard the matter, concerning the petition filed by advocate Akshay Malhotra.
The petitioner referred to a 2021 NITI Aayog Report, which he said raised concerns about older vehicles that are not compliant with E20. Senior Advocate Shadan Farasat argued that the petitioner was not against Ethanol-blending, but was merely seeking an option of Ethanol-free petrol for vehicles manufactured before 2023, LiveLaw reported.
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He further said that only the vehicles that are manufactured after April 2023 are compatible with E20 petrol. Farasat referred to reports and said that the use of E20 caused a six per cent drop in fuel efficiency.
He once again referred to the NITI Aayog report to point at concerns regarding the lack of availability of E10 or E0 petrol option.
Opposing the petition, Attorney General for India, R Venkataramani, said that the petitioner was only a "name-lender", adding that there was a huge lobby.
The AG reportedly said the E20 policy was benefiting the nation's sugarcane farmers and saving foreign exchange. "Will people outside the country dictate what kind of fuel India should use?" AG asked.
After hearing the Attorney General's submission, CJI Gavai pronounced, "Dismissed".
ALSO READ | Govt seeks to allay concerns on E20, says no impact on insurance
The controversy over E20 petrol's effect on fuel efficiency and mileage has been going on since the central government rolled out the Ethanol-Blending Programme.
Road transport minister Nitin Gadkari and the Petroleum ministry have, however, dismissed the rumours and even listed the benefits of E20 petrol.
Last month, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas cited an NITI Aayog study on Ethanol and backed the usage of E20 petrol. It said that E20 not only gives "better acceleration and better ride quality", but also benefits the farmers of the country.
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The Centre added that E20 petrol also lowers carbon emissions by approximately 30 per cent as compared to E10 fuel.
Road transport minister Nitin Gadkari had also said that there was no merit in arguing that E20 reduces vehicles' mileage. "This is not even a discussion. I don't know if I should say this, politically — it appears the petroleum lobby is manipulating it,” he had said.
The Petroleum Ministry said that the Ethanol-blended petrol ensures better farm income, lowers carbon emissions, and improves petrol's research octane number (RON). It also termed the claims of reduced fuel efficiency as "misplaced". The ministry said vehicle mileage is influenced by a range of factors beyond fuel type, including driving habits, maintenance practices, tyre pressure, and even air conditioning load.
