A public interest litigation (PIL) petition has been filed before the Madras High Court seeking directions to disclose tax breakup in petrol and diesel bills and on price display boards installed at fuel pumps [B Ramkumar Adityan v. Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and ors].
A Bench of Justices Anita Sumanth and C Kumarappan issued notice on the PIL filed by a lawyer, advocate B Ramkumar Adityan, who contended that knowing the tax component of petrol and diesel bills is part of a consumer's right to information.
The Court today also ordered the impleadment of the tax authorities of the Central and State governments as additional respondents in the case.
The Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and the Tamil Nadu Finance Department have already been arrayed as respondents.
The PIL also arrayed various petrol and diesel companies as respondents, including the Indian Oil Corporation, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited, the Bharat Petroleum Corporation, Reliance Industries Limited, Shell India, Reliance BP Mobility Limited and Nayara Energy Limited.
According to the petitioner, rising fuel price is a cause of concern for every Indian citizen and fuel prices vary across States because of the taxes levied by the Central and State governments on the retail prices of petrol and diesel.
This retail price includes components such as the basic crude oil price, excise duty, dealer's commission, and taxes, duties and cesses.
As per the plea, the failure by fuel outlets to disclose the details of taxes levied constitutes an unfair trade practice that violates consumer rights.
"Knowing the tax on a product is part of a consumer's right to information and protection against unfair trade practices, as established by the Consumer Protection Act 2019. This right ensures consumers have all the necessary details, including the price, to make informed decisions and are not misled or exploited by sellers," the plea says.
The matter will be heard next on November 7.