Karnataka’s ethanol-blended petrol test results warrant full investigation: Travel operators’ body

The association urged the authorities to publish the results of all 63 original samples and the corresponding retest results, along with sampling dates, batch details and testing methods. If excessive ethanol blending was established, the authorities should identify where it occurred in the supply chain and take action against those responsible. | Photo Credit: File photo

The Karnataka State Travel Operators Association has called for a comprehensive investigation into the alleged discrepancies in ethanol-blended petrol test results in the State, urging the Union and State governments to conduct joint testing and make the findings public.

K. Radhakrishna Holla, president of the association, said the issue should be examined on the basis of scientific evidence and kept above party politics, given the concerns raised over fuel quality.

Recently, Rizwan Arshad, Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Karnataka, claimed that petrol sold by several major oil companies in Karnataka contained ethanol far above the prescribed 20% level, in some cases as high as 31.2%, raising questions about transparency in the ethanol-blended petrol being sold to consumers across the country.