Karnataka minister Rizwan Arshad on Monday said that the state government stood by its findings that petrol samples collected from across the state contained more than the prescribed 20% ethanol, as it accused three oil marketing companies (OMCs) of failing to disclose the ethanol blending content in their laboratory reports.
The state government announced its findings, which it claimed were based on testing 63 samples collected from across seven districts, on November 6. The findings recorded an Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) sample with 31.2% ethanol, while samples from Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) recorded 30.5% and 26.5%, respectively.
HT reached out to the three OMCs for a comment on the government’s statement, but could not get a response till going to press. “If you say that the fuel is E20, then give consumers exactly E20. The common man who pays for the fuel must get what has been promised to him. Do not deceive consumers by supplying fuel with E30 blending while claiming that it is E20. The state has demanded that fuel testing be taken out of the control of OMCs and be placed under an independent system. “When the oil companies test their own fuel in their own laboratories and declare themselves compliant, they are acting as both the accused and the judge.
Talking to reporters, the minister for food, civil supplies, consumer affairs and legal metrology said the government will not withdraw its findings that OMCs were blending more than the prescribed 20% ethanol in petrol, with some samples showing levels of up to 31.2%. Refuting the contention, Arshad said the state government had followed the prescribed sampling and testing procedures and challenged the OMCs to explain the actual ethanol content in 63 samples collected from petrol pumps across the state. The minister added that the state had collected 63 samples from September 21 onwards and sent them to different OMCs, but they had failed to provide specific ethanol-blending percentages for the samples. Earlier reporting noted: K’taka govt stands by findings of ‘excess’ ethanol blending in petrol: Min Arshad Bengaluru, Karnataka minister Rizwan Arshad on Monday said that the state government stood by its findings that oil marketing companies were blending more than the prescribed 20 per cent ethanol in petrol, with some samples showing levels of up to 31.2 per cent, and accused them of evading questions on the issue. Earlier reporting noted: The minister for Food, Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs and Legal Metrology said the state government had followed the prescribed sampling and testing procedures and challenged the OMCs to explain the actual ethanol content in 63 samples collected from petrol pumps across the state. Earlier reporting noted: “I want to assure everyone in the country that the government of Karnataka stands by its report and its claim that oil marketing companies are blending more than 20 per cent ethanol in petrol.
“The Government of Karnataka stands by its report and claims that oil marketing companies are blending more than 20% ethanol in petrol, which will cause serious damage to the engines of vehicles and burden the common man,” he said. Stressing that ethanol blending itself was not opposed by the state government, the minister said consumers must be allowed to choose fuel based on their vehicle requirements. That is a clear conflict of interest, and no consumer can be asked to trust it,” the government statement said. This can cause serious damage to vehicle engines and place an additional financial burden on ordinary people,” Arshad told reporters.
