Thiruvananthapuram: Keralam has begun random inspections at petrol outlets in four districts following complaints of vehicle damage and allegations in neighbouring Karnataka that petrol was being sold with ethanol content above the prescribed limit.
Food and Civil Supplies Minister Anoop Jacob said on Monday that the government had ordered the inspections in response to the complaints and concerns raised by motorists.
"In view of complaints being received from the public about vehicles being damaged and the apprehensions they have about the presence of more than permissible limits of ethanol in fuel, it is the government's responsibility to allay their fears. That is why the inspections have been ordered," he told the media.
Jacob said fuel samples would be collected randomly and sent to a government laboratory for testing. The results are expected within 10 days.
He said ethanol content above 20 per cent was not permitted in fuel and warned that any violation would lead to the sealing of the outlet and prosecution of those responsible.
The inspections are being conducted at selected locations in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Kozhikode and Kannur districts.
Jacob had earlier said that 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, empowered officials to conduct inspections and initiate legal action. The authorised officials include the Commissioner of Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs and Taluk Supply Officers.
The inspections follow allegations in Karnataka that major oil marketing companies were supplying petrol with ethanol content exceeding the prescribed 20 per cent limit. Tests reportedly found ethanol levels as high as 31.2 per cent, prompting the Karnataka government to seek 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 conducted on petrol samples collected from Bengaluru, Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagara, Mangaluru and Tumakuru.
However, public sector oil marketing companies have rejected claims that petrol sold at some retail outlets in Karnataka contained up to 31 per cent ethanol.
They maintained that the E20 petrol supplied across the country, including in Karnataka, complied with IS 17021, the Bureau of Indian Standards specification for ethanol-blended motor gasoline.
The companies also raised concerns about the sampling procedure and testing methodology used in the October 2026 exercise.