‘Ethanol an ongoing experiment’ remark attributed to Attorney General incorrect: Law ministry | Legal News – The Indian Express
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‘Ethanol an ongoing experiment’ remark attributed to Attorney General incorrect: Law ministry
Earlier in the day, it was reported that the top law officer had submitted before the Supreme Court that the 20% ethanol blending programme in petrol is still an ongoing experiment and the impact of the policy would become clearer by next year
By:Express News Service
New DelhiUpdated: Jul 1, 2026 04:58 AM IST
The statement said that considering the submission, the SC directed that status quo may be maintained in respect of the ethanol allocation for the current Ethanol Supply Year (2025-26).
The Union Law Ministry on Tuesday termed as “completely false” reports that the Attorney General of India, R Venkataramani, told the Supreme Court that the “government’s 20% Ethanol Blended Petrol (E20) programme is ‘still an ongoing experiment’ and that ‘the impact of the policy would become clearer by next year’.”
A Press Information Bureau (PIB) statement said the office of the AG “has noticed certain media reports published on 30 June 2026, which have incorrectly reported the submissions made by” the AG in the matter which arose from appeals filed by Oil Marketing Companies in ethanol allocation matter
It said, “These reports are completely false and do not reflect anything even close to the actual submissions made before the Hon’ble Court.”
According to the statement, “during the hearing”, the AG “submitted that similar writ petitions involving identical issues concerning allocation of ethanol to Dedicated Ethanol Plants are presently pending before different High Courts” and that “Transfer Petitions are being filed for transfer of such matters to the Hon’ble Supreme Court so that common questions of interpretation of law arising from the same contractual framework may be considered together to avoid parallel proceedings and the possibility of conflicting decisions, if at all.” The AG further said, the statement noted, that “this step is also likely to enable expeditious resolution of the litigation, so that supplies of ethanol to OMCs to maintain 20% blending with petrol throughout the year is not impacted, under the Ethanol Blended Petrol Programme, which is a national programme.”
The statement said that considering the submission, the SC directed that status quo may be maintained in respect of the ethanol allocation for the current Ethanol Supply Year (2025-26)
The statement further said “at no stage was any submission made that the Government’s Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme or the E20 blending programme is an ‘experiment’.” It is clarified in explicit terms that 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.”
The government urged the members of the media to report judicial proceedings with due accuracy, particularly in matters involving “important national policy initiatives.”
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Earlier in the day, a PTI report said that an SC bench of Justices M M Sundresh and Sheel Nagu on Tuesday directed status quo with regard to an order of the Karnataka High Court, which directed enhancement of ethanol allocation for the Ethanol Supply Year (ESY) 2025-26
The top court was hearing a plea filed by an oil marketing company, which claimed that the high court’s order would destabilise the national policy of 20% ethanol blending for petrol
The bench issued notice on the plea filed by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) challenging the HC order. The HC had directed the BPCL, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited and Indian Oil Corporation Limited to consider and decide a representation submitted by a dedicated ethanol manufacturer seeking enhancement of ethanol allocation for the Ethanol Supply Year (ESY) 2025-26
The HC had held that dedicated ethanol plants, which were established pursuant to government policy and are contractually bound to supply ethanol exclusively to Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs), cannot be denied the benefit of preferential allocation contemplated under the Long-Term Offtake Agreement (LTOA)
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AG Venkataramani reportedly submitted that HC’s order directing OMCs to consider enhancement of ethanol allocation to VINP Distilleries and Sugars would destabilise the national policy
The top law officer submitted that the 20% ethanol blending programme in petrol is still an ongoing experiment and the impact of the policy would become clearer by next year, according to the PTI report
Venkataramani pointed out, the report said, that the ethanol supply contracts were concluded in October 2025
He said the ethanol allocation exercise attained finality on October 17, 2025, and allocations were communicated to 378 suppliers for a total supply of 1,050 crore litres of ethanol, of which 680 crore litres had already been supplied by them by June 18. If one supplier’s quota was enhanced, other similarly placed would claim parity, which would open litigation floodgates, the report stated
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- Tags:
- ethanol
- supreme court
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