The Wire: New Delhi: Wednesday, 15 July 2026.
Information Commissioner Khushwant Singh Sethi ordered the ministry's planning arm to email historical data on petrol production and imports, ethanol procurement and blending, and profit-related information to the applicant.
The Central Information
Commission (CIC) has directed the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC)
of the Union petroleum ministry to provide additional information sought under
the Right to Information (RTI) Act after finding that the body had not fully
responded to an application on India’s petrol and ethanol programme.
Information Commissioner Khushwant Singh Sethi ordered PPAC to email historical data on petrol production and imports, ethanol procurement and blending, and profit-related information to the applicant, News18 reported.
The commission also instructed the agency to provide direct links to notifications on ethanol blending, transfer queries on ethanol suppliers to the relevant authorities and issue a fresh response on company-wise petrol supplier information in accordance with the RTI Act.
Six categories of information sought from the ministry
The RTI application sought six categories of information fuel production and imports, ethanol blending rules, procurement and use of ethanol, supplier details and profits from petrol sales.
During the hearing, the commission observed that PPAC had supplied only part of the information requested and asked it to revise its replies on several points.
The applicant had sought year-wise data from 2014-15 on petrol production, imports, purchases, expenditure and a source-wise break-up, News18 reported. PPAC informed that this information was available on its website but declined to disclose company-specific information, citing Sections 8(1)(d) and 8(1)(e) of the RTI Act. After the applicant said the information was not readily accessible online, the commission directed PPAC to send the available historical data by email.
On ethanol blending, PPAC said the programme run according to the National Policy on Biofuels, 2018, and that relevant notifications are available on the ministry’s website. The CIC then directed the agency to provide links to the relevant notifications and orders, the report said.
The applicant also sought year-wise details of ethanol procured and consumed for blending. PPAC said the information was contained in its monthly Snapshot of India’s Oil & Gas report. The commission instructed it to email the historical data.
For information on ethanol suppliers, including the quantities supplied and agreements with oil marketing companies, PPAC said it did not maintain the records. The CIC directed it to transfer that part of the application to the concerned public authority.
The applicant had also requested company-wise details of petrol suppliers, their share in total supply and copies of supply agreements. PPAC declined to disclose the information on grounds of commercial confidentiality. The commission directed the agency to issue a fresh reply while invoking the relevant provisions of the RTI Act.
On the final query seeking annual profits from petrol sales, profit margins and the method used to calculate them, PPAC referred the applicant to information on taxes collected by the Centre and the states. The CIC directed the agency to email all historical information available with it on the subject.
This article went live on July fourteenth, two thousand twenty six, at twenty-two minutes past twelve at noon.
Information Commissioner Khushwant Singh Sethi ordered the ministry's planning arm to email historical data on petrol production and imports, ethanol procurement and blending, and profit-related information to the applicant.
Information Commissioner Khushwant Singh Sethi ordered PPAC to email historical data on petrol production and imports, ethanol procurement and blending, and profit-related information to the applicant, News18 reported.
The commission also instructed the agency to provide direct links to notifications on ethanol blending, transfer queries on ethanol suppliers to the relevant authorities and issue a fresh response on company-wise petrol supplier information in accordance with the RTI Act.
Six categories of information sought from the ministry
The RTI application sought six categories of information fuel production and imports, ethanol blending rules, procurement and use of ethanol, supplier details and profits from petrol sales.
During the hearing, the commission observed that PPAC had supplied only part of the information requested and asked it to revise its replies on several points.
The applicant had sought year-wise data from 2014-15 on petrol production, imports, purchases, expenditure and a source-wise break-up, News18 reported. PPAC informed that this information was available on its website but declined to disclose company-specific information, citing Sections 8(1)(d) and 8(1)(e) of the RTI Act. After the applicant said the information was not readily accessible online, the commission directed PPAC to send the available historical data by email.
On ethanol blending, PPAC said the programme run according to the National Policy on Biofuels, 2018, and that relevant notifications are available on the ministry’s website. The CIC then directed the agency to provide links to the relevant notifications and orders, the report said.
The applicant also sought year-wise details of ethanol procured and consumed for blending. PPAC said the information was contained in its monthly Snapshot of India’s Oil & Gas report. The commission instructed it to email the historical data.
For information on ethanol suppliers, including the quantities supplied and agreements with oil marketing companies, PPAC said it did not maintain the records. The CIC directed it to transfer that part of the application to the concerned public authority.
The applicant had also requested company-wise details of petrol suppliers, their share in total supply and copies of supply agreements. PPAC declined to disclose the information on grounds of commercial confidentiality. The commission directed the agency to issue a fresh reply while invoking the relevant provisions of the RTI Act.
On the final query seeking annual profits from petrol sales, profit margins and the method used to calculate them, PPAC referred the applicant to information on taxes collected by the Centre and the states. The CIC directed the agency to email all historical information available with it on the subject.
This article went live on July fourteenth, two thousand twenty six, at twenty-two minutes past twelve at noon.
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