Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has demanded that the Centre publicly disclose the ethanol content in petrol supplied across India after state inspections reportedly found samples with blending as high as 31.2 per cent, above the prescribed E20 limit.
The demand follows comments by Karnataka Food, Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs and Legal Metrology Minister Rizwan Arshad, who said at a press conference that oil companies were blending more ethanol than permitted. Shivakumar said the state would continue inspections and protect consumers’ right to receive fuel that meets prescribed quality standards.
In a post on X, the Chief Minister said the Department of Legal Metrology had carried out extensive inspections across Karnataka under Mission Nikhara. He said independent laboratory tests of petrol samples from major oil companies had recorded ethanol levels of up to 31.2 per cent.
The Union government has promoted ethanol blending as part of its energy-security strategy, but Shivakumar said alleged violations of E20 norms could impose additional costs on vehicle owners. He cited reduced mileage, possible vehicle damage and higher maintenance expenses as concerns requiring attention.
E20 petrol contains up to 20 per cent ethanol blended with petrol. The level of blending can affect fuel consumption and vehicle compatibility, making disclosure at the point of sale relevant to consumers choosing fuel for different vehicles. The report did not specify the oil companies, petrol stations or laboratory reports associated with the samples cited by the Karnataka government.
Shivakumar said the Union government could not ignore alleged departures from the prescribed limit while consumers carried the financial burden. He called for strict legal action against oil companies found exceeding the permitted blending level and asked that petrol pump-level audit reports be made public.
The Chief Minister also proposed an E20 Damage Compensation Fund with a simple, time-bound process to compensate affected vehicle owners. He urged the Centre to make ethanol-content disclosure mandatory at every petrol station and to ensure that consumers have access to fuel suitable for their vehicles.
The Karnataka government’s position places legal metrology inspections at the centre of a wider dispute over fuel quality, consumer information and enforcement of national blending standards. The next steps sought by the state are public disclosure of actual ethanol levels, publication of audit findings and action against companies found to have breached the prescribed limit.
