Union Minister Prahlad Joshi has offered to arrange for an oil marketing company (OMC) representative to participate in joint testing of petrol samples with Karnataka government officials amid the ongoing dispute over ethanol blending in fuel.
According to a report by The Times of India, Joshi made the offer on Tuesday and challenged Karnataka Food and Civil Supplies Minister Rizwan Arshad to oversee the testing process and examine the findings.
The offer comes amid growing tensions between the Centre and the Karnataka government over allegations that petrol containing higher-than-prescribed ethanol levels is affecting vehicle performance. Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has questioned the Centre’s accountability and called for an investigation into fuel quality.
Joshi invited Arshad to participate in the testing alongside officials from both sides. He also accused the Congress of politicising the issue to divert public attention after its protests over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and electronic voting machines failed to gain public support.
Centre defends ethanol blending policy
Defending the Centre’s ethanol blending programme, Joshi said it was intended to benefit farmers and reduce India’s dependence on imported crude oil.
He argued that blending ethanol beyond prescribed limits would not make commercial sense because of its cost compared with petrol. Citing prices, he said petrol was priced at around ₹53 per litre, while ethanol cost between ₹57 and ₹71 per litre, depending on the feedstock used, including maize.
Joshi maintained that fuel samples could be tested only at designated laboratories equipped with specialised facilities. He referred to provisions introduced under the Petroleum and Diesel Order in 2005 and urged Karnataka to examine the test results already shared by the Centre and disclose the remaining details.
Karnataka seeks independent verification
Arshad rejected Joshi’s intervention, arguing that the Union minister did not hold the petroleum portfolio and was speaking on behalf of Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.
He clarified that Karnataka was not opposed to ethanol blending but wanted safeguards to ensure consumers were neither misled nor supplied substandard fuel.
Arshad alleged that petrol containing 26% to 31% ethanol was being sold as E20 fuel. He also questioned the Centre’s statement that 893 fuel samples tested across the country, including 56 from Karnataka, had met prescribed standards. He raised concerns over oil marketing companies testing their own products and certifying compliance.
According to Arshad, Karnataka had submitted 63 fuel samples to OMC laboratories, but the reports did not disclose the actual ethanol content. He called for an independent verification mechanism, public display of ethanol blending percentages at petrol pumps and an option for consumers to choose between E10, E20 and unblended petrol.
Chief Minister raises vehicle performance concerns
Shivakumar also alleged that ethanol blending levels ranging from 20% to 30% were affecting vehicle mileage, damaging engines and causing vehicles to stall.
He urged the Centre to investigate the quality and source of fuel being supplied instead of directing criticism at petrol pump operators.
The Chief Minister said the issue should be treated as a matter of consumer safety rather than a political dispute and called for accountability over the quality of petrol supplied to motorists.
