Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 12 — With reports of serious irregularities in E20 petrol raising concerns among motorists, the Kerala government has stepped up inspections at fuel stations across the state, Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan said on Thursday.
The Civil Supplies Department has collected fuel samples from nine petrol pumps in four districts Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Kozhikode and Kannur to check the quality of E20 petrol and verify whether the prescribed ethanol content is being maintained.
The samples will be tested for ethanol concentration and overall fuel quality.
The results are expected within 10 days, Chief Minister Satheesan said in a Facebook post.
The inspections will be extended to more petrol pumps across the state.
The Kerala government has also warned of stringent legal action against those responsible if any irregularities are detected.
The move comes amid reports of alleged irregularities in the supply and quality of E20 petrol, a blend containing up to 20 per cent ethanol and 80 per cent petrol.
The increased use of ethanol blended fuel has brought renewed attention to quality control and the need to ensure that consumers get the fuel they pay for.
The Chief Minister said protecting consumer rights would remain the government's priority and that further steps would be taken to ensure the availability of quality fuel.
The inspection drive is significant as E20 petrol is part of the Centre's ethanol blending programme, aimed at reducing dependence on imported crude oil and promoting the use of renewable fuel.
However, the concerns raised over fuel quality have made effective monitoring essential, particularly as more petrol stations switch to higher ethanol blends.
The results of the ongoing tests will indicate whether any quality violations have occurred at the inspected outlets.
The government has said the exercise will not be confined to the nine pumps and that inspections will cover more fuel stations in the coming days.