Karnataka Govt stands by claim of excess Ethanol in petrol, Minister Rizwan Arshad says OMCs trying to "wash their hands off"

Karnataka minister Rizwan Arshad on Monday said the state government stands by its report that oil marketing companies (OMCs) are blending more than 20 per cent ethanol in petrol, despite the companies' rejection of the claim.

Karnataka minister Rizwan Arshad on Monday said the state government stands by its report that oil marketing companies (OMCs) are blending more than 20 per cent Ethanol in petrol, despite the companies' rejection of the claim. Addressing a press conference, Arshad said the Karnataka government had last Friday released a report stating that petrol samples from seven districts were tested, and most showed an Ethanol blend above 20 per cent, going up to 31.2 per cent. "This is contrary to the government policy that they will blend only E20 fuel," he said.

He said the OMCs disputed the findings after the state explained where the samples were tested and what methodology was used, claiming the state was wrong. "I want to tell everyone in the country, assure them, that the Government of Karnataka stands by its report and claims that oil marketing companies are blending more than 20 per cent Ethanol in petrol, which will cause serious damage to the engines of vehicles, and it will burden the common man," Arshad said.

He added that the OMCs had tried to "wash their hands" by saying it was an issue of certain outlets. The Minister also took on the central government and the BJP led opposition in the state, saying that the entire process of checking petrol was transparent.

"Everything was recorded in front of everyone. It was clearly mentioned who the authorized officers were, the name of the retail outlet, the quality of the sample, the date, and the names of the dealer, transporter, and authorized representative. We haven't just collected samples on our own; we've followed the legal procedure. We sent the samples to NABL-accredited labs, which are established by the Quality Council of India. They claimed the labs are not NABL-accredited, which is incorrect. We haven't just collected and sent them samples; we followed the legal process, and all sample containers were signed. The accused and the judge are the same in this situation. They claimed our sampling method was incorrect, but they have also been silent and dodging our questions when we ask for a technical explanation. They haven't provided any numbers. We are just using a simple water-based test to check the petrol, as water causes ethanol and petrol to separate. They claim this test is incorrect, but we are a responsible government, and we haven't been acting arbitrarily," he said. This follows assertions by the Department of Food, Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs and Legal Metrology, Government of Karnataka, which claimed that motor spirit sold at specific retail outlets in the state contained between 26 per cent and 31 per cent ethanol.

Public sector oil marketing companies (OMCs) Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) have also rejected claims by the Karnataka government that petrol sold at certain retail outlets in the state contains 26–31 per cent ethanol, as per a release by the OMCs. The three OMCs asserted that E20 petrol supplied nationwide complies with Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) specification IS 17021, rejecting the Karnataka government's claim that petrol sold at certain retail outlets in the state contains 26–31 per cent ethanol.

"The OMCs would like to clarify that the claims, as reported, are not supported by testing conducted in accordance with the prescribed statutory and technical procedures. E20 petrol supplied by the three OMCs across the country, including Karnataka, conforms to IS 17021, the Bureau of Indian Standards specification for ethanol-blended motor gasoline," the release said. The OMCs also raised concerns over the sampling procedure and testing methodology adopted during the October 2026 exercise, citing deviations from the prescribed norms under the Motor Spirit and High Speed Diesel Control Order, 2005, and Marketing Discipline Guidelines (MDG) 2024.

According to the OMCs, the prescribed procedure requires six one-litre samples, with two each provided to the dealer, retained by the oil company or department, and sent to a designated laboratory for testing.While samples collected in September 2026 were tested at designated OMC laboratories, the October exercise reportedly took place without OMC representatives. The companies said they had not received retention samples, outlet-wise details or laboratory reports despite requesting them.

Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has also said that all 893 samples of E20 petrol drawn from public sector oil marketing companies across 27 States and Union Territories have conformed to prescribed quality standards, refuting claims of excessive ethanol blending. (ANI)