Karnataka minister Rizwan Arshad Friday alleged that tests at state-authorised labs found "excess" mixing of ethanol in E20 fuel, as high as 31.2% in some cases. Samples were collected from 63 petrol bunks across the state and 14 of them had ethanol above the prescribed limit, he said. PSUs denied the claim, saying it was not supported by tests conducted under statutory and technical procedures. Fuel retailers said 56 samples from Karnataka, tested in a nationwide drive, were found to contain ethanol in the prescribed 19-21% range.
More than 30% ethanol in E20, says Karnataka minister
In short
Karnataka minister Rizwan Arshad reported that testing across 63 petrol bunks uncovered 14 locations selling E20 fuel with ethanol concentrations surpassing legal limits. Public sector fuel retailers contested these claims, arguing that official statutory procedures do not support the minister's allegations. Retailers emphasized that a separate nationwide inspection of 56 Karnataka fuel samples confirmed blending levels strictly adhered to the mandatory 19% to 21% range.
Key points
- State authorities and public sector fuel undertakings are in conflict over the accuracy o…: State authorities and public sector fuel undertakings are in conflict over the accuracy of retail ethanol blending measurements.
- Commercial fuel retailers firmly deny allegations of non-compliance by citing their own s…: Commercial fuel retailers firmly deny allegations of non-compliance by citing their own statutory and technical testing results.
- Discrepancies between state laboratory findings and nationwide fuel sampling drives revea…: Discrepancies between state laboratory findings and nationwide fuel sampling drives reveal ongoing challenges in monitoring E20 compliance.