A very big, important and sensational news is coming out from the South Indian state of Karnataka to energy, environment, interests of drivers and politics. The ongoing controversy regarding excessive mixing of ethanol in petrol and adulteration beyond the prescribed legal limit is not showing any signs of stopping. Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has once again taken a very strict and clear stand on this entire issue and announced that this high-level investigation going on in the state is not limited to only selected petrol pumps, but also includes all the big processing and blending units where fuel and chemicals are mixed. After this statement of the Chief Minister, there has been a stir among the political circles and oil marketing companies of the country. Let us know in detail what Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has said on this matter and what is the latest development of this controversy amid sharp questions from the opposition. Blunt statement of Chief Minister DK Shivkumar: "It is absolutely wrong to increase the proportion of ethanol just for the sake of profit."

Talking to media persons in the capital Bengaluru, Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Sunday made it clear that the investigation being conducted by the state government into the adulteration of ethanol in petrol is being done very comprehensive, scientific and in-depth. He stressed that the scope of this investigation does not only include the last mile retail fuel stations, but also all the primary processing and blending units from where this fuel is prepared and supplied in the market. The Chief Minister said in strong words that it is not at all right to play with the prescribed fuel blending ratio (E20 limit) in the greed of earning huge profits by using only ethanol which is available at low cost. Damage to vehicles of common citizens and public safety are of utmost importance for the government, and negligence in this matter will not be tolerated at any level. The Chief Minister also informed that the State Government has already given detailed information about this entire episode to the Central Government so that appropriate corrective steps can be taken in time. Minister Rizwan Arshad will submit a detailed report today, concrete documents to blending will be revealed. Karnataka government now seems to be in a completely aggressive mood on this entire issue. Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has announced that state Food and Civil Supplies Minister Rizwan Arshad will make public a very detailed and official report on the entire matter on Monday. In this report, with strong documentary evidence, it will be revealed that at which places, how and at whose behest this over-blending of petrol and ethanol is being done. The government claims that when this detailed report comes out, all the claims of the oil companies and the units involved in this game will be nullified. Experts believe that after the release of this report, the political conflict between the Central Government and the State Government on this issue may become more intense. Sharp questions from BJP and opposition: Serious questions raised on the standards of investigation. On the other hand, the main opposition party Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has sharply retaliated against these steps being taken and statements being given by the Karnataka government. Karnataka BJP state president BY Vijayendra has given an open challenge to the state government, saying that the government should first make public what technical standards and testing methods it has used to measure the exact amount of ethanol in petrol samples. The BJP president has demanded that instead of working alone, the state government should conduct a joint and transparent investigation in collaboration with major oil marketing companies (OMCs) of the country so that the truth can come out. Vijayendra reminded that after these sensational claims of the state government, all three major public oil companies of the country—Indian Oil (IOCL), Bharat Petroleum (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum (HPCL)—have issued their official clarifications. These companies say that they had tested random samples from 700 to 800 different fuel stations across the country, and did not find any serious problems or over-blending as claimed by the state government. Apart from this, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashok (R. Ashok) also raised serious questions on the functioning of the state government. He sarcastically asked whether Karnataka has such advanced and high-end laboratories that can give accurate reports of such complex scientific tests? R. Ashok raised the question as to where exactly the samples that the government was talking about being tested were collected from and under what conditions – were they directly from a government depot or from a petrol pump? He also expressed apprehension that what is the guarantee that someone has not later mixed ethanol or any other chemical in the samples taken from petrol pumps? Why has the ethanol blending controversy become a big issue for drivers across the country? This entire controversy is not limited to political rhetoric alone, rather it is directly to the common citizens, car-bike owners and the economy of the country. Under the 'Ethanol Blending Program' (E20) policy of the Central Government, a target has been set to mix environmentally friendly ethanol in petrol, so that dependence on crude oil imports can be reduced and foreign exchange can be saved. However, according to the prescribed rules, only a maximum of 20 percent ethanol can be mixed in petrol (called E20). But experts believe that if this mixture crosses the legal limit of 20 percent and reaches 30 percent or more, it can prove to be very harmful for both modern and conventional vehicle engines. Due to excessive consumption of ethanol, the engine parts of the vehicles start wearing prematurely, fuel pumps get damaged, and there is a huge decline in the mileage and pickup of the vehicle. This is why not only the political parties, but also the drivers and the automobile sector across the country are keeping a close eye on this step taken by the Karnataka government and the results of the report coming today.