The ethanol content in petrol has come under strict scanner in Keralam after the state government ordered tests on fuel samples across four districts following allegations in Karnataka.
Food and Civil Supplies Minister Anoop Jacob directed officials to collect petrol samples from retail outlets in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Kozhikode and Kannur. The checks come in the wake of a controversy in Karnataka, where state authorities claimed that fuel sold at several petrol bunks exceeded the prescribed 20 per cent blending limit.
Although Keralam has not received any complaints from motorists so far, the allegations from the neighbouring state prompted preventive inspections. Minister Jacob warned of strict action if laboratory tests confirm that the petrol contains more than the permitted limit.
Key Points Of The Ethanol Content In Petrol Probe
- Keralam tests petrol samples from Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Kozhikode and Kannur.
- Karnataka alleged that nearly four out of five tested samples exceeded the 20 per cent ethanol limit.
- Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas rejected Karnataka findings, stating all 893 samples tested across 27 states complied with standards.
- Central government defends the E20 blending programme for reducing crude oil imports and improving energy security.
Details Of The Allegations In Karnataka
The inspections in Keralam follow a major controversy in Karnataka, where Karnataka Food and Civil Supplies Minister Rizwan Arshad stated that tests on 63 samples collected from seven districts revealed that nearly four out of five samples exceeded the 20 per cent limit. The highest ethanol content recorded during that testing reached 31.2 per cent.
The samples in Karnataka were collected from retail outlets supplied by major oil marketing companies, including Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL), Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL), Nayara Energy, Shell and Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL). According to reports, the Karnataka government initially sent samples to in-house laboratories of IOC and BPCL, but the reports did not disclose ethanol content, leading the state to engage private National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL)-accredited laboratories.
Union Ministry Rejects Findings
The Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas strongly rejected Karnataka’s allegations, stating that tests conducted by public sector oil marketing companies did not support the findings. In a statement issued on November 7, the ministry maintained that all 893 E20 petrol samples tested across 27 states and Union Territories remained within the prescribed ethanol content range of 19 to 21 per cent.
Addressing the Karnataka samples specifically, the ministry noted that 56 samples from the state were tested and found fully compliant with Bureau of Indian Standards specifications, recording ethanol content between 19 and 20 per cent with an average of 19.3 per cent. The ministry questioned the sampling and methodology used by Karnataka during its October exercise, pointing out that certificates cited by the state failed to specify standard test methods or dilution procedures.
Union Minister of State for Petroleum Suresh Gopi stated that while states are free to test fuel, they should avoid politicising the issue. He maintained that the decision to permit E20 blending was based entirely on scientific studies aimed at cutting crude oil imports and strengthening domestic agricultural value chains.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Keralam testing petrol samples?
Keralam ordered tests on petrol samples from four districts following allegations in Karnataka that oil marketing companies were selling fuel with an ethanol content exceeding the prescribed 20 per cent limit.
What is the stand of the Union Ministry on ethanol blending?
The Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas rejected Karnataka allegations, stating that tests on 893 E20 petrol samples across the country complied with Bureau of Indian Standards specifications and stayed within the 19 to 21 per cent range.
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