ORAL JUDGMENT (Per Advait M. Sethna, J.) :

1. This writ petition raises a pressing contemporary issue concerning the need to create an adequate infrastructure for the installation of e-charging stations for electric vehicles, along with the requisite legal framework that would be necessary to facilitate their seamless operation.

2. The petitioner before this court is a businessman and a citizen of India and a resident of Bhagwati Bhuvan Cooperative Housing Society situated in Carmichael, Pedder Road, Mumbai. The petitioner claims that the present petition is

filed on account of the rejection of permission to the petitioner to install charging infrastructure at the petitioner’s garage in the said society. Such permission was rejected by the society which was sought for charging the petitioner’s newly purchased electrical vehicle. The petitioner claims that considering the immense environmental and other advantages of electrical vehicle, coupled with the State Government’s and Central Government’s policy document, it is incumbent upon the State and the Registry of Cooperative Societies, i.e., respondent nos. 2 and 3 to exercise power under the Maharashtra Cooperative Societies Act, 1960 (“MCS” for short) so as to ensure that the petitioner and other similarly placed individuals residing in various housing societies in Mumbai to get the benefit of the charging stations to be installed at the garage and parking places in the premises of their societies. The petitioner is primarily aggrieved by the inaction of the respondents, particularly respondent Nos. 2, 3, 5, and 6, in failing to provide the necessary permissions for the installation of charging stations, which are beneficial to the petitioner and such similarly placed persons. It is under such conspectus that the petitioner has approached this Court invoking Article 226 of the Constitution of India, 1950 (“Constitution of India for short”). The substantive prayers in the petition read thus:

“A. That this Hon'ble Court be pleased to issue a Writ of Mandamus or a Writ in the nature of Mandamus or any other appropriate Writ, order or direction directing the Registrar to exercise power under Section 14 of the MCS Act to amend the Model Bye-Laws so as to provide for the provision of charging infrastructure;

B. That this Hon'ble Court be pleased to issue a Writ of Mandamus or a Writ in the nature of Mandamus or any other appropriate Writ, order or direction directing the State Government to exercise power under Section 79A of the MCS Act so as to provide for the provision of charging infrastructure;

C. That until such time as the power under Section 14 or Section 79A is exercised as aforesaid, this Hon'ble Court be pleased to exercise its extraordinary constitutional powers under Article 226 to frame appropriate guidelines for the provision of charging infrastructure in Co-operative Housing Societies;

D. That this Hon'ble Court be pleased to issue a Writ of Mandamus or a Writ in the nature of Mandamus or any other appropriate Writ, order or direction directing the State Government represented through Respondent No. 1 to 4 and Respondent no.6 to implement the MEV Policy, 2021, including by way of appropriate amendments to the DCPR 2034;

E. That this Hon'ble Court be pleased to issue a Writ of Mandamus or a Writ in the nature of Mandamus or any other appropriate Writ, order or direction directing Respondent no. 5 to grant permission to the Petitioner to install charging infrastructure in the Petitioner's garage;

F. That this Hon'ble Court be pleased to issue a Writ of Mandamus or a Writ in the nature of Mandamus or any other appropriate Writ, order or direction directing the

Respondent no. 7 to grant permission to the Petitioner to install charging infrastructure in the Petitioner's garage without an no-objection letter from Bhagwati Bhuvan CHSL;”

3. The petitioner addressed a letter dated 10 May 2022 to respondent no. 5 society requesting for issuance of a no objection certificate for obtainin