Keralam Tests Fuel After Karnataka Alleges Excessive Ethanol Blending
Keralam officials are conducting random petrol tests following Karnataka government claims that oil companies exceeded the 20 percent ethanol blending limit.
The Government of Keralam has launched random ethanol testing at petrol outlets across Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Kozhikode, and Kannur districts. Food and Civil Supplies Minister Anoop Jacob ordered the inspections after public complaints of vehicle damage and reports from Karnataka alleging that fuel contained ethanol levels as high as 31.2 percent, far exceeding the 20 percent legal limit.
In Kochi, the Keralam Civil Supplies Department flagged six samples, sending two to a laboratory in Kakinada for analysis. Results are expected within 10 days, with the government warning that violators face prosecution and the sealing of their outlets. Karnataka Minister Rizwan Arshad defended the state's October 2026 findings from seven districts, asserting that excessive blending burdens consumers and damages engines.
Public sector oil marketing companies, including Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited, have denied the allegations. They maintain that their E20 petrol conforms to Bureau of Indian Standards specifications and argue that Karnataka's sampling methodology deviated from statutory norms. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas also refuted the claims, stating that 893 samples taken across 27 states and union territories met all quality standards. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi has questioned the central government, characterizing the alleged blending excesses as a scam.
