CIC directs petroleum ministry arm to share historical petrol, ethanol, profit data

New Delhi: The Central Information Commission (CIC) has directed the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC), the oil ministry's planning arm, to reveal historical data on petrol production and imports, ethanol procurement and blending, and petroleum sector profits.

The direction was given to share the information with an RTI applicant after the commission found that the cell provided only "partial information."

Information Commissioner Khushwant Singh Sethi also directed PPAC to provide the web link for ethanol blending notifications, transfer the query on ethanol suppliers to the concerned public authority, and invoke the appropriate exemption under the RTI Act, while responding to the request for company-wise petrol supplier information.


The RTI application sought six sets of information relating to India's petrol and ethanol programme, including fuel production and imports, ethanol blending norms, procurement and consumption of ethanol, supplier details and profits from petrol sales.

The commission observed that "the respondent has provided partial information to the appellant" and directed it to furnish a revised response on different queries.

The first query sought year-wise details from 2014-15 onwards of petrol purchased, imported, and produced in India, annual expenditure on petrol, and source-wise break-up.

PPAC replied that import, export, production and state-wise data were available on its website, but company details were "of commercial & confidential nature" and exempt under Sections 8(1)(d) and 8(1)(e) of the RTI Act.

During the hearing, the appellant said he "could not find the sought information in (sic) the website."

The commission directed PPAC to "send soft copy of the sought information, including historical data, as available on the website to the appellant's e-mail ID."

On the second query, the applicant sought year-wise norms, guidelines and official notifications prescribing ethanol blending in petrol.

PPAC replied that the National Policy on Biofuels, 2018, governed ethanol blending and was available on the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas website. The respondent also submitted during the hearing that the notifications were maintained by the ministry and available in the public domain.

The commission directed PPAC to "provide the specific website link" for the relevant notifications and orders.

The third query sought year-wise details of ethanol procured and consumed for blending, along with reasons for any difference between procurement and consumption.

PPAC said Table 14 of its monthly Snapshot of India's Oil & Gas report contained information regarding "ethanol received and blended by PSU OMC's along with the blending percentage."

The commission directed the authority to email the available historical data to the appellant.

The fourth query related to the ethanol supply chain, with the applicant seeking a year-wise list of ethanol suppliers to oil marketing companies, quantities supplied, percentage share, and copies of contracts or purchase orders.

PPAC replied that it had "no information available on list of suppliers who are supplying ethanol to OMC's."

The commission directed the authority to "transfer the point to concerned CPIO of the public authority, who is custodian of the sought information."

Under the fifth query, the applicant sought company-wise details of petrol suppliers, quantities supplied, their contribution to total supply, and copies of supply agreements.

PPAC denied the information, saying company-wise production, import and export details were commercial and confidential and exempt under Sections 8(1)(d) and 8(1)(e) of the RTI Act.

The commission directed PPAC to issue a fresh reply "claiming relevant exemption under the RTI Act, 2005."

The sixth query sought annual profits from petrol sales, profit margins and the methodology used to calculate them.

PPAC replied that details of taxes collected by the Centre and states on petroleum products were available on its website.

The commission directed PPAC to email the appellant the available historical information relating to this query.