Karnataka Minister Rizwan Arshad on Saturday said he would issue a detailed response to public sector oil marketing companies after they rejected the state government's claim that petrol sold at certain outlets in the state contained up to 31 per cent ethanol.
Sharing screenshots of the OMCs' response on X, the minister took a dig at the companies, saying, “We have taken note of your cut-and-paste response.”
He added that he did not wish to “spoil their Diwali weekend.”
“On Monday, I will share a detailed response with the entire nation. Until then, enjoy the festivities. Happy Diwali! P S: For you to know, we are the Government, an official source, not some random entity,” the Karnataka Food, Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs and Legal Metrology minister said.
The Karnataka government had alleged that major OMCs 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 had sought action against the companies.
At a press conference earlier, the minister had said the allegations were based on tests on petrol samples collected from Bengaluru, Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagara, Mangaluru and Tumakuru.
On Friday, in a joint statement, 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 the claims, as reported, were not supported by testing conducted in accordance with the prescribed statutory and technical procedures. They maintained that the 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 raised concerns about the sampling procedure and methodology used in the October 2026 exercise.
The reported findings relied on certificates issued by a third-party laboratory and not on testing at a laboratory specified under the Control Order, they said. The certificates did not provide the complete technical details needed to independently verify the reported ethanol content, the statement said.
The absence of counterpart samples and the prescribed documentation had denied the OMCs and the dealers concerned an opportunity to seek verification or retesting, the companies said.
(With inputs from PTI)