By Areeb Khan
The Supreme Court has raised concerns obver ethanol availability after the Centre permitted E100-compatible flex-fuel vehicles under amended motor vehicle rule. The court questioned how adequate ethanol supplies would be ensured, especially as the government has no immediate plans to increase petrol
Supreme Court ne Thursday ko government se yeh question kiya ki agar country mein 100 per cent ethanol par run karne wali vehicles ko allow kiya jaata hai, so government adequate ethanol supply kaise ensure karegi? Yeh development recently motor vehicle rules mein kiye gaye amendments ke baad saamne aaya hai, jiske under ab E100 compatible flex-fuel vehicles ko bhi country mein allow karne ka provision diya gaya hai. PTI ki report ke according, court ne specifically ethanol ki availability or supply ko lekar government se clarification maangi hai. Supreme Court ne ethanol allocation se related pleas ki hearing ke during 100 per cent ethanol-run vehicles ko lekar ek important questionraise kiya. Bench mein Justice M M Sundresh or Justice Prasanna B Varale include the, jinhone question raise kiya ki agar 100 percent ethanol par chalne wali vehicles ko permission de di jaati hai, so unke liye required ethanol supply kaise ensure ki jayegi? Yeh hearing Supply Year (ESY) 2025-26 ke liye ethanol allocation se related petitions par ho rahi thi. Is notification ke baare mein baat karein so Ministry of Road Transport and Highways ne October 26 ko Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 mein amendments kiye hai, jiske baare mein bench ne media reports ka reference diya. In new changes ke according, emission certification provision mein abb E85 ke saath E100 ethanol blend ko bhi include kar liya gaya hai. That means abb higher ethanol blends par run karne wali flex-fuel vehicles ko bhi approval mil payega, jo E85 or E100 jaise fuel options ko support kar sakti hai. Court ke query ka answer dete hue Attorney General R Venkataramani ne kaha ki iske liye large scale manufacturing arrangements mein massive level par changes karne padenge. Court ki yeh observation ek din baad aayi hai jab Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri ne kaha tha ki Centre ka at present petrol mein ethanol blending ko current 20 per cent se further increase karne ka koi immediate plan nahi hai. Government ka E20 programme, jiske under petrol mein 20 per cent ethanol blend kiya jaata hai, at present national target bana hua hai. Thursday ko hui hearing ke during bench ne yeh bhi highlight kiya ki ethanol policy ko public interest, environment or framers welfare ke perspective se bhi examine karne ki need hai. Country ki larger population ki baat karein, jo ki farmers hai, so humein first yeh address karna hoga ki framers ko kaise empower kiya jaa sakta hai. Justice Sundresh ne observe kiya ki yeh ek aisa important aspect hai jiske baare mein abhi koi bhi highlight nahi kar raha hai. Venkataramani ne kaha ki woh apni arguments ke during framers se related concerns ko address karenge. Other than this, bench ne rural areas mein rehne wale peoples ko empower karne ki need par bhi zor diya. Is matter mein appear hone wale ek advocate ne submit kiya ki ethanol promote karne se framers ko benefit ho sakta hai, other side counsel ka kehna tha ki Centre ki existing policy mein already framers ke interests ko priority di gayi hai. Bench ne is matter ki next hearing next month ke liye schedule kar di hai. Yeh proceedings ESY 2025-26 ke liye ethanol allocations ko lekar chal rahe ek dispute se related hai. June 30 ko Supreme Court ne Karnataka High Court ke us direction par status quo maintain karne ka order diya tha, jisme supply year ke liye ethanol allocations ko increase karne kahi gayi thi. Supreme Court ek oil marketing company ke through file ki gayi plea par hearing kar rahi thi, jisme company ne argue kiya ki High Court ka order petrol mein 20 per cent ethanol blending ki national policy ko destabilize kar sakta hai. Karnataka High Court ne Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd or Indian Oil Corporation Ltd ko direct kiya hai ki woh ek dedicated ethanol manufacturer ki representation par consider karein, jisme manufacturer ne ESY 2025-26 ke liye higher ethanol allocation ki demand ki hai. Iska kehna tha ki government policy ke under establish kiye gaye dedicated ethanol plants, jinhone oil marketing companies (OMCs) ko ethanol karne ke liye contractual commitments bhi kiye hai, unhe long-term offtake agreements ke under milne wale preferential allocation benefit se deny nahi kiya jaana chahiye. Flex-fuel vehicles ko specifically higher ethanol blends par operate karne ke liye design kiya jaata hai, including E85, jismein 85 per cent ethanol or 15 per cent petrol hota hai, or E100, jo almost pure ethanol hota hai. Yeh vehicles conventional petrol vehicles se kaafi different hota hai, because normal petrol vehicles ko sirf lower ethanol concentration wale fuel par operate karne ki approval di jaati hai, whereas flex-fuel vehicles higher ethanol blends ko bhi easily handle kar sakte hai. News Source: ET Auto