Delhi HC refuses to direct Central govt to fix a “fair price” for petrol and diesel

The Delhi High Court today refused to issue a direction to the Central government to fix a “fair price” for petrol and diesel as per Section 3(1) the Essential Commodities Act, 1955..A Division Bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V Kameswar Rao observed that the Court cannot interfere in a policy matter involving “larger economic issues”..“We cannot issue a mandamus…if you read Section 3(1) of the Essential Commodities Act, it says the Central government. may pass an order”, Chief Justice Menon said..The Court, nonetheless, asked the Centre to consider an earlier representation pending before it on price rise of petrol and diesel within four weeks..The Court was hearing a public interest litigation filed through Advocate A Maitri seeking a direction to declare the present mechanism to fix “daily price”of petrol and diesel as unconstitutional and unlawful..The petitioner had sought for fixation of a “fair price “of petrol and diesel in accordance with Section 3(1) of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955..Earlier this year, a similar PIL against “price rise of petrol and diesel” was preferred by the petitioner. The said PIL was dismissed by the Court with a direction to the Central government to consider the plea as a representation and to “take a view”on the matter within eight weeks..The Court, today, granted four more weeks to the Central government to consider the said representation..The matter will next be heard on November 16..Read Petition below: