Never told Supreme Court E20 blending programme is ‘experiment’: Attorney General rejects ‘completely false’ reports

Summary

The office of Attorney General (AG) R Venkataramani clarified on Monday that the central government never told the Supreme Court that the government’s E20 fuel programme is an “experiment”. The statement came after several media reports on June 30 cited the Attorney General as telling the Supreme Court during a hearing in an ethanol allocation dispute that the government’s programme to achieve 20 per cent ethanol blending in petrol was “still an ongoing experiment” and that its impact would become clearer next year. As the statement went viral, it drew backlash on social media, with some questioning , "From where are come from, experiments are done on smaller samples and in a controlled environment. The statement added that any suggestion that the government had described the E20 programme before the Supreme Court as an "experiment" was “incorrect” and did not represent the submissions made on behalf of the Union of India. The clarification pertained to proceedings before the Supreme Court on June 30 in a plea filed by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) challenging a Karnataka High Court order directing oil marketing companies to revisit ethanol allocations for the 2025-26 supply year. According to the AG’s office, the Attorney General had informed the Supreme Court that similar petitions involving the allocation of ethanol to Dedicated Ethanol Plants were pending before different High Courts across the country. "It was informed to the Hon'ble Supreme Court 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," it added. She worked as a senior sub-editor at India Today. She also provided special on-air coverage for the Karnataka Elections. <br><br> When she is not busy with breaking news, Akriti loves to write explainers and interview experts on a wide range of issues. She is currently expanding her knowledge in climate journalism.<br><br> Connect with Akriti here<br> LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/akriti-anand-868285199">https://www.linkedin.com/in/akriti-anand-868285199</a><br> Twitter/X: <a href="https://x.com/AkritiAnand7">https://x.com/AkritiAnand7</a><br> Email: akriti.anand@htdigital.in Stay updated with the latest Trending , India , World and US news.