New Delhi, February 24 The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought responses from the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh government on a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking the implementation of the 2024 EV charging infrastructure guidelines in housing societies.
At the outset, a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi expressed their displeasure when the counsel for the petitioner, Rachit Katyal, said that there were pending petitions on the issue and that his plea should also be admitted for hearing along with them.
"Why should we add one more to the list," the CJI said, referring to some chronic PIL litigants who rush to the top court after reading newspapers.
"We are witnessing a proliferation of PIL petitioners. It seems there are some prominent individuals whose sole agenda is to read the newspaper in the morning and file a PIL," the CJI added.
The bench, however, later admitted Katyal's PIL and issued notices to the Centre, the UP government, and the secretary of Cushman and Wakefield Management Services India Pvt Ltd. It fixed the plea for hearing on April 13.
The bench took cognizance of the difficulties faced by owners of electric vehicles (EVs) in residential complexes.
Katyal, a resident of Greater Noida, approached the court after his housing society allegedly blocked his attempts to install a private EV charging point in his designated parking space, despite his offer to bear all costs.
The plea stated that the residential complex houses nearly 4,000 flats and approximately 56 electric vehicles, yet provides only two shared charging points.
It said that this ratio is grossly insufficient, rendering daily commutes and vehicle maintenance nearly impossible for EV owners.
The petitioner contended that the Guidelines for Installation and Operation of EV Charging Infrastructure 2024, issued by the Ministry of Power, expressly permit residents to install private charging units.