The dispute over ethanol blending in petrol has intensified in Karnataka, with Union minister Pralhad Joshi offering joint testing of fuel samples while the state government demanded independent verification and disclosure of ethanol content at petrol pumps.
Joshi said an officer from an oil marketing company (OMC) could conduct the testing alongside Karnataka government officials, challenging state minister Rizwan Arshad to oversee the exercise. The offer came after Karnataka leaders questioned whether petrol sold as E20 contained ethanol above the permitted level and whether excessive blending was affecting vehicle performance.
Joshi defended the Centre’s ethanol-blending policy, saying it was intended to benefit farmers and reduce India’s dependence on imported crude oil. He also argued that there was no economic rationale for mixing ethanol beyond the permissible limit, citing a base petrol price of Rs 53 per litre compared with a cost of between Rs 57 and Rs 71 per litre for maize-based ethanol.
He said fuel samples could be tested only in designated laboratories with specialised facilities, referring to provisions introduced in 2005 under the Petroleum and Diesel Order during the previous United Progressive Alliance government. Joshi also asked Karnataka to examine test results already shared by the Centre and make the remaining details public.
Arshad rejected the Centre’s response and said Karnataka was not opposed to ethanol blending, but wanted consumers to be protected from being sold fuel with undisclosed or excessive ethanol content. He alleged that some samples contained between 26% and 31% ethanol even though they were being sold as E20 petrol.
The state minister also questioned the Centre’s claim that 893 fuel samples tested across the country, including 56 from Karnataka, had complied with the applicable standard. Karnataka, he said, had submitted 63 samples to OMC laboratories, but the reports did not disclose the actual ethanol percentage in the fuel. He argued that oil companies should not effectively act as both the parties being scrutinised and the authorities certifying compliance.
Karnataka has sought an independent testing mechanism, disclosure of ethanol content at fuel stations and the option for consumers to choose between E10, E20 and pure petrol. The demands place testing transparency and consumer information at the centre of the dispute, rather than ethanol blending alone.
Chief minister DK Shivakumar separately alleged that blending beyond 20% to 30% was reducing mileage, damaging engines and causing vehicles to stall. He said the state was not targeting petrol pump operators and called for an investigation into the source and quality of fuel supplied to consumers.
The immediate next step is the proposed joint testing involving OMC and Karnataka government representatives. The competing claims will depend on the disclosure of sample-level results, including the actual ethanol content and the laboratories responsible for testing them.
