Joshi rejects claims of excess ethanol in petrol

CH NEWS, HUBBALLI Union Minister Pralhad Joshi has criticised Karnataka Food and Civil Supplies Minister Rizwan Arshad over his allegations that petrol sold in the state contains excessive amounts of ethanol. Joshi described the claims as an attempt to create a misleading public narrative. Speaking to reporters in Hubballi, Joshi said the prescribed standard operating procedures (SOPs) of oil marketing companies had not been followed while testing the petrol samples. He said that most of the 14 samples tested reportedly showed ethanol levels within the expected range, while a few showed higher readings. Joshi defended the Centre's ethanol blending policy and said it benefits sugarcane farmers by creating additional demand for their produce. He also said oil marketing companies had been instructed to clear payments to farmers who supplied ethanol. Reacting to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's remark, 'E20 turned into 420', Joshi criticised him and questioned his understanding of the issue. He alleged that the Congress was taking an anti-farmer position by opposing the policy. The Union Minister also questioned Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar's stand on the issue, asking whether he supported Rahul Gandhi's criticism or the interests of farmers. Priyank Kharge Questions Centre's Claims Meanwhile, Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge accused the Union government of misleading the public about ethanol blending. He alleged that the policy was being implemented to benefit companies associated with Union ministers rather than protect consumers. Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Kharge claimed that laboratory reports accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) had detected ethanol levels of 35–40 per cent in some petrol samples. He questioned the Centre's claims and said that experimenting with fuel quality could affect millions of consumers. Joshi also criticised the Karnataka government's taxation policies, claiming that it had collected more than ₹60,000 crore in additional revenue over three years through increased taxes and charges. He questioned the effectiveness of the Congress government's guarantee schemes and said the BJP would examine ways to rationalise taxes if it came to power in the state.