NEW DELHI: Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge on Saturday accused the Central government of misleading people over ethanol blending in petrol, alleging that reports from government-accredited laboratories showed ethanol content exceeding the limits announced by the Centre.Kharge also alleged that the ethanol-blending programme was being used to benefit companies linked to the families of Union ministers. He claimed that some laboratory reports had indicated blending levels of up to 35-40 per cent, while others showed 31 per cent."The Government of India is lying through its teeth to the people. Very clearly, they had said that it (ethanol) will not be blended beyond a certain capacity, but NABL reports have proved that the ethanol blending is crossing the permissible limits, or at least the set limits that the govt had proclaimed. It's up to 35%, 40% in some cases. The lab reports are endorsed by laboratories that are accredited by the Govt of India," he said, as quoted by news agency ANI.The minister alleged that the policy was intended to facilitate certain companies. "This entire ethanol blending has been done only to…
‘Experimenting on 1.3bn people’: Priyank Kharge alleges excess ethanol blending
In short
Opposition leaders in Karnataka claim fuel supplies contain unauthorized proportions of additives that risk damaging vehicle engines and increasing maintenance expenses for consumers. State officials argue that lab-tested samples significantly surpass federal blending mandates to improperly favor select business interests. Meanwhile, public energy corporations defend their product standards, pointing to strict compliance metrics and massive foreign exchange savings generated by the fuel program. The disputed fuel samples were gathered across multiple districts, including Bengaluru, Mangaluru, and Tumakuru, before being evaluated by the NABL-accredited Shriram Research Institute.
Key points
- State ministers allege the central government is exceeding official ethanol limits to ben…: State ministers allege the central government is exceeding official ethanol limits to benefit companies linked to Union ministers' families.
- Excessive ethanol blending has raised consumer concerns regarding compromised vehicle mil…: Excessive ethanol blending has raised consumer concerns regarding compromised vehicle mileage, engine damage, and higher maintenance expenses.
- Major oil marketing corporations maintain their E20 fuel strictly adheres to the standard…: Major oil marketing corporations maintain their E20 fuel strictly adheres to the standard 19 to 21 per cent specification range.