Karnataka Chief Minister Reaffirms Claims of Excess Ethanol in State Petrol Amid Federal Pushback

Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar stepped onto the media stage on Sunday, insisting that fuel sold across the state is being mixed with ethanol well beyond the legally allowed 20 % limit. He told reporters that a senior minister would hold a detailed press conference on Monday, armed with sample reports and documents from 67 sites where the fuel was collected.

"This isn’t a political stunt," Shivakumar emphasized, trying to distance the issue from opposition rhetoric. "I’m not speaking as an opposition leader like R. Ashoka; I’m speaking for the people whose vehicles are stalling and whose mileage has dropped dramatically." He recounted complaints from thousands of motorists who say their engines keep cutting out, and that fuel‑efficiency has nosedived.

According to the state’s Department of Food, Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs and Legal Metrology, the ethanol content in some retail outlets ranges between 26 % and 31 %. The CM said that preliminary investigations are already about 30 % complete and that the blending appears to be happening at the pumps themselves, not at the refinery level.

The Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, however, quickly countered the Karnataka narrative. It released data showing that all 893 samples of E‑20 petrol drawn from public‑sector oil marketing companies (OMCs) across 27 states and union territories met the prescribed quality standards. Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum all stressed that ethanol blending is an automated, tightly regulated process, leaving little room for manual tampering.

Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Suresh Gopi defended the central government’s stance, noting that the 20 % ethanol ceiling is backed by rigorous scientific assessment and will be raised only gradually as technical feasibility permits. "If technical facts are being twisted for political mileage, the ones pulling the strings will end up digging their own grave," he warned.

Adding a political twist, Congress leader and UP AICC in‑charge Rajendra Pal Gautam echoed the state’s concerns, claiming insiders at a petrol pump association said blends as high as 40 % have been spotted in Karnataka. "When we raise our voice, the government threatens to shut down the pumps," he alleged, linking the alleged over‑blending to vehicle breakdowns.

While the debate intensifies, the core question remains: are motorists in Karnataka being served fuel that compromises engine health, or is the state’s alarm a misreading of a tightly controlled blending process? Both sides say they have the data; the upcoming press briefing promises to lay those documents on the table.