The Kerala Civil Supplies Department has collected petrol samples from nine outlets across four districts to check for ethanol content beyond permitted limits.
The Kerala Civil Supplies Department has begun inspecting petrol pumps in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Kozhikode and Kannur to determine if fuel contains ethanol beyond the permitted limit, according to reports by Hindustan Times and Telangana Today.
The inspections, conducted on Monday, follow reports of irregularities in neighbouring Karnataka where petrol samples reportedly showed ethanol content between 21 per cent and 35 per cent. Food and Civil Supplies Minister Anoop Jacob said the checks aim to ensure quality fuel and prevent adulteration, noting that no cases of excess blending have been confirmed in Kerala so far.
The department collected samples from nine outlets, including three in Ernakulam and two each in Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode and Kannur. Oil company representatives and sales managers were present during the sampling process. The samples will be sent to authorised laboratories, with results expected within 10 days.
Minister Jacob stated that the government would initiate legal action if tests find ethanol content exceeds prescribed limits. He added that the inspections were not conducted with preconceived conclusions and were not intended to target any specific oil company.
In Karnataka, the Congress party staged protests in Bengaluru, alleging that excessive ethanol blending reduces vehicle mileage and damages engines. BJP MP Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraj Wadiyar dismissed these claims, stating the allegations were false and intended to divert attention from price rises.
