Thiruvananthapuram: Keralam Civil Supplies Minister Anoop Jacob has ordered inspections of petrol outlets in four districts following allegations in Karnataka that fuel was being sold with ethanol content above the prescribed limit.
Anoop Jacob directed the Commissioner of Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs to carry out the checks after discussions with the Chief Minister (V D Satheesan), a statement said on Saturday.
The statement said the state had not so far come across any instance of excess ethanol blending in petrol, and that the inspections were ordered in view of the alleged malpractice in neighbouring Karnataka.
Samples will be collected from various locations in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Kozhikode and Kannur districts and sent for testing.
The minister said a 2014 state notification, issued under the Central Motor Spirit and High Speed Diesel (Regulation of Supply and Distribution and Prevention of Malpractices) Order, 2005, empowers officials ranging from the Commissioner of Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs to Taluk Supply Officers to conduct inspections and initiate legal action.
Strict action would be taken if any violation was detected, Jacob said, according to the statement.
The inspections come amid a row over Karnataka’s allegation that major oil marketing companies were supplying petrol with ethanol content above the prescribed 20 per cent limit, with tests reportedly showing levels as high as 31.2 per cent. The Karnataka government has sought action against the companies.
Karnataka Food, Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs and Legal Metrology Minister Rizwan Arshad had said at a recent press conference that the allegations were based on tests on petrol samples collected from Bengaluru, Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagara, Mangaluru and Tumakuru.
Public sector oil marketing companies on Friday rejected the claim that petrol sold at some retail outlets in Karnataka contained up to 31 per cent ethanol.
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 Karnataka’s Department of Food, Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs and Legal Metrology claiming that petrol at certain retail outlets contained between 26 and 31 per cent ethanol.
The claims, as reported, were not supported by testing conducted in accordance with the prescribed statutory and technical procedures, the companies said.
They maintained that the E20 petrol they supplied across the country, including Karnataka, conformed to IS 17021, the Bureau of Indian Standards specification for ethanol-blended motor gasoline.
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