Public sector OMCs have rejected Karnataka’s claim that petrol sold at some retail outlets in the state contained up to 31 per cent ethanol, saying the findings were not based on testing carried out under the prescribed procedures.
The Karnataka government alleged that major oil marketing companies were supplying petrol with ethanol content above the prescribed 20 per cent limit, with tests recording levels as high as 31.2 per cent, and sought action against the companies. In a joint statement on Friday, Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) said they had taken note of a release by the state’s Department of Food, Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs and Legal Metrology claiming that petrol at certain retail outlets contained between 26 per cent and 31 per cent ethanol. The companies said E20 petrol supplied by them across the country, including Karnataka, conformed to IS 17021, the Bureau of Indian Standards specification for ethanol-blended motor gasoline. They said they had concerns about the sampling procedure and methodology used in the October 2026 exercise. The Motor Spirit and High Speed Diesel (Regulation of Supply, Distribution and Prevention of Malpractices) Order, 2005 (the Control Order), issued under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, read with the Marketing Discipline Guidelines (MDG) 2024, prescribes a defined procedure for sampling, retention, testing and communication of results, they said.
Addressing a press conference, Food, Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs and Legal Metrology Minister Rizwan Arshad said the allegations were based on tests on petrol samples collected from Bengaluru, Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagara, Mangaluru and Tumakuru. “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,” the statement said.
