Delhi High Court refuses to interfere in fuel prices issue, says its economic policy decision

Changing fuel prices decision was an economic policy decision of the central government and in which the court must remain away from it, the Delhi High Court said today. The bench comprises, Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice VK Rao made it clear, the Court was not inclined to interfere with the government’s decision, saying “there are larger economic issues” involved.

The Court states, “It is an economic policy matter of the government. There are larger economic issues. The courts must remain away from it. The government may do it (fix a fair price). We cannot issue a mandamus (direction) to them to do it.”

The Delhi High Court was hearing a plea filed by a Delhi based designer, Puja Mahajan, who challenged the daily rise in fuel prices in India and sought a direction to the Centre to fix a fair price for fuel and also stressed to treat them as essential commodities.

The petition, filed through advocate A Maitri, claiming that Ms Mahajan”s representation to the central government on the issue has not yet been decided. The court, thereafter, directed the central government to decide the representation within four weeks and listed the matter for hearing on November 16.

She also alleged that the government had given “indirectly given implied consent” to oil marketing companies (OMCs) to hike petrol and diesel prices at their own “whims and fancies”.

It has claimed that the implied consent was evident from the lack of revision in fuel prices for around 22 days in the run-up to the Karnataka Assembly election. The petitioner also alleged that, the government was misleading by connecting the soaring fuel prices with the rate of crude oil and fuel did not go down when crude oil was cheaper. 

The petitioner has also said that in July, she had moved a similar plea, which the court had disposed of by asking the Centre to treat it as a representation and take a decision.

Also read: Rupee depreciates, fuel prices soar; no respite for common man