The Office of the Attorney General for India has unequivocally denied recent media reports claiming the nation's E20 ethanol blending program was presented as an "ongoing experiment" before the Supreme Court. The Attorney General's office stated that these reports are "completely false" and misrepresent the actual submissions made on behalf of the Union government.
India successfully achieved its ambitious target of 20% ethanol blending in petrol in 2025, five years ahead of schedule. Oil marketing companies initiated the nationwide rollout of E20 fuel from April 1.
In a clarification, the government emphasized that at no point was the Ethanol Blended Petrol Programme, specifically the E20 blending initiative, described as an "experiment" during court proceedings. Reports suggesting the policy's impact would only become clear next year were also deemed incorrect and not reflective of the government's stance.
Clarification on Supreme Court Submissions
The clarification pertains to proceedings arising from a Special Leave Petition filed by Oil Marketing Companies (BPCL) concerning ethanol allocation. The Attorney General's office explained that it was submitted to the Supreme Court that similar writ petitions, involving identical issues regarding ethanol allocation to Dedicated Ethanol Plants, are pending before various High Courts.
The Union government informed the court that Transfer Petitions are being filed. This step aims to consolidate common questions of law interpretation arising from the same contractual framework, thereby avoiding parallel proceedings and the potential for conflicting judicial decisions.
Ensuring Uninterrupted Ethanol Supplies
The Attorney General further highlighted that consolidating these cases is expected to facilitate the expeditious resolution of the litigation. This measure is crucial to ensure that supplies of ethanol to Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) remain uninterrupted, allowing for the consistent maintenance of 20% blending with petrol throughout the year under the national Ethanol Blended Petrol Programme.
Considering these submissions, the Supreme Court viewed that the proposed Transfer Petitions should be filed and that the status quo regarding ethanol allocation for the current Ethanol Supply Year (2025-26) should be maintained, insofar as the present matter is concerned.
The government's clarification explicitly states, "any suggestion that the Government described the E20 programme before the Hon’ble Supreme Court as an ‘experiment’ is incorrect and does not represent the submissions made on behalf of the Union of India."