India, Nov. 7 -- The Petroleum Ministry on Saturday disputed claims by the Karnataka Government that petrol sold at certain retail outlets in the State contained 26-31 per cent ethanol, saying tests conducted by State-run Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) found supplies across the country, including Karnataka, compliant with the prescribed 20 per cent blending standard.

In a statement, the ministry said Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) had questioned the sampling and testing procedures used in an October 2026 exercise, arguing that the reported findings could not be independently verified under the prescribed statutory and technical standards.

The three...