Karnataka Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Rizwan Arshad has alleged that petrol supplied in the state contains ethanol above the prescribed level, citing laboratory test results from samples linked to Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. He has sought action from the Union government and compensation for consumers whose vehicles may have been damaged.
At a press conference, Arshad said tests conducted by laboratories accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories and certified to ISO standards found ethanol content of 31.2% in some IOCL petrol samples and 30.5% in some HPCL samples. The report does not identify the locations of the fuel stations from which the samples were collected or provide the full laboratory documents.
The minister said the findings indicated that petrol supplied in Karnataka was being blended with ethanol beyond the prescribed quantity. His statement did not include a response from either IOCL or HPCL, nor did it cite a response from the Union government or the petroleum-sector authorities responsible for fuel specifications and distribution.
Arshad said the Karnataka government was committed to protecting consumer interests under the leadership of Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar. He called on the Union government to clarify the reported ethanol levels and take strict action against blending beyond the permitted limit.
The minister also demanded compensation for consumers whose vehicles had been damaged because of excessive ethanol blending. The report does not specify the number of affected consumers, the nature of the alleged vehicle damage, or whether the state government has begun a claims or inspection process.
Ethanol blending is carried out before petrol reaches consumers, making the issue one of fuel quality control as well as consumer protection. Any dispute over the permitted proportion would involve multiple institutions, including fuel marketing companies, testing laboratories, state consumer-affairs authorities and the Union government. The reported findings therefore raise questions about how samples are collected, tested and disclosed at the retail level.
Arshad further demanded that petrol pumps be required to prominently display the proportion of ethanol blended in the fuel they sell. Such disclosure, he said, would allow consumers to know the composition of the petrol being supplied to them.
The minister’s statement is the latest publicly reported claim in Karnataka concerning the quality and transparency of petrol supplies. The next steps sought by the state minister are a clarification from the Union government, action against alleged over-blending, compensation for affected vehicle owners and mandatory display of ethanol content at petrol stations. The supplied report does not state whether those measures have been accepted or whether an independent government investigation has been ordered.
