Civil Supplies Minister Anoop Jacob ordered checks in four districts following reports of excess ethanol in Karnataka fuel.
Kerala Civil Supplies Minister Anoop Jacob has ordered inspections of petrol outlets in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Kozhikode and Kannur. According to reports from Deccan Chronicle and Telegraph India, the move follows allegations in Karnataka that fuel was sold with ethanol levels exceeding the prescribed limit.
Jacob instructed the Commissioner of Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs to perform these checks after consulting with Chief Minister V D Satheesan. While the state has not found any instances of excess ethanol blending so far, the inspections serve as a preventive measure due to reported malpractices in neighbouring Karnataka.
The Karnataka government alleged that major oil marketing companies supplied petrol with ethanol content as high as 31.2 per cent, surpassing the 20 per cent limit. Karnataka Minister Rizwan Arshad stated these findings were based on samples from several locations, including Bengaluru and Mangaluru.
Public sector companies, including Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), rejected these claims on Friday. In a joint statement, the companies said the reported levels were not supported by testing following prescribed statutory and technical procedures.
The companies maintained that their E20 petrol complies with Bureau of Indian Standards specification IS 17021. Jacob noted that officials, ranging from the Commissioner to Taluk Supply Officers, are authorised under a 2014 state notification to conduct inspections and take legal action if violations are found.
