Karnataka CM says ethanol probe included blending units
Food and civil supplies minister Rizwan Arshad will release a detailed report on the ethanol blending investigation on Monday.
Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said on Sunday that investigations into excessive ethanol blending in the state have covered the processing units where fuel and chemicals are mixed. According to the Times of India, the probe follows claims that ethanol levels in petrol samples reached more than 30 per cent, exceeding the prescribed 20 per cent limit.
Shivakumar stated that the government is taking the matter seriously and that information has been shared with the Union government. He said it is not right to raise the blending ratio simply to profit from cheaper ethanol. He added that the Centre cannot avoid its responsibility as public safety is paramount.
Food and civil supplies minister Rizwan Arshad is expected to release a report on Monday containing documentary evidence regarding how and where the blending occurs.
BJP state president BY Vijayendra challenged the state government to reveal the standards used for testing petrol samples. He said Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum, and Hindustan Petroleum issued clarifications after the state made its claims. Vijayendra noted that these companies had checked samples from 700 to 800 fuel stations nationwide and did not find the issues alleged by the state.
Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka questioned the reliability of the samples and whether Karnataka has laboratories capable of high-quality testing. He asked if the samples were taken from petrol bunks or government godowns and raised concerns regarding the guarantee that no additional ethanol was mixed into the fuel before testing.