Petrol‑Blending Row: Suresh Gopi Stands by E20 as Karnataka and Kerala Probe Fuel Samples

Delhi – The debate over India’s push for ethanol‑blended petrol has taken a new turn, this time with the spotlight on the southern states of Karnataka and Kerala. On Sunday, Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Suresh Gopi told the Lok Sabha that the centre’s decision to roll out a 20 per cent ethanol blend – known as E20 – rests on solid scientific ground, and that any future increase would be introduced “gradually after examining feasibility.”

His remarks came after Karnataka’s government publicly claimed that petrol drawn from several outlets in the state showed ethanol concentrations as high as 31.2 per cent – well beyond the statutory limit. The Karnataka Food, Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs and Legal Metrology Minister Rizwan Arshad said the figures were based on samples collected from Bengaluru, Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagara, Mangaluru and Tumakuru.

Not to be left out, Kerala’s civil supplies minister Anoop Jacob ordered a surprise inspection of fuel stations in four districts – Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Kozhikode and Kannur. The move, Jacob explained, follows the Karnataka allegations and is meant to reassure consumers that the state’s fuel quality remains within prescribed limits.

“Let them conduct the tests, whether it is the Karnataka government or the Kerala government,” Gopi replied to reporters, urging both administrations to carry out independent checks. “We have scientific support for the 20 per cent blend and we will consider any rise only after proper study.” He added a gentle warning against turning a technical issue into a political football, noting that “unnecessary mud‑slinging could end up hurting ordinary people.”

Public‑sector oil marketing companies – Indian Oil Corp., Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum – on Friday issued a joint statement flatly denying Karnataka’s claims. According to the companies, the alleged high‑ethanol readings were not derived from tests that complied with the statutory and technical procedures laid down under the Central Motor Spirit and High Speed Diesel (Regulation of Supply and Distribution and Prevention of Malpractices) Order, 2005.

The firms stressed that the E20 fuel supplied across the country, including Karnataka, conforms to IS 17021, the Bureau of Indian Standards specification for ethanol‑blended gasoline. They also questioned the sampling methods employed in the October 2026 exercise, suggesting that “the methodology used could have skewed the results.”

Kerala’s inspection plan, Jacob said, involves collecting petrol samples from multiple retail points in each of the four districts and sending them to accredited labs. The civil supplies commissioner has been handed the responsibility, with the power to take strict action if any violation is uncovered – a provision that dates back to a 2014 state notification.

Meanwhile, the centre remains firm on its roadmap. The E20 blend, which aims to cut oil imports and reduce carbon intensity, was approved after months of laboratory trials and field pilots. Gopi hinted that the government could look at higher blends in the future, but only “after examining scientific feasibility.”

For now, the battle seems to be one of facts versus perception. As the states gear up for testing, the oil majors await results that could either vindicate their compliance or force a course correction. Whatever the outcome, the episode underscores how fuel policy – even something as seemingly mundane as the ethanol percentage in petrol – can quickly become a flashpoint in the corridors of power.