Bengaluru, 16 September

Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Rizwan Arshad categorically stated that the State government will not implement the Centre’s notification to extend the mandatory re-verification period for fuel dispensers from 12 months to 24 months. 

The Centre has issued the notification on 8 May, bringing petrol, diesel, CNG, LPG, LNG, and hydrogen into the Government Approved Test Centre framework and, according to Arshad, “allowing private test centres to undertake verification and stamping”. 

But the Karnataka Legal Metrology Department conducted inspections across the State, Arshad stated, and found that in just eight days, 85 per cent of the 805 petrol pumps inspected had errors and had not informed the department. 

“768 pumps required recalibration, while 101 pumps were found with errors beyond the permissible limit,” he stated. 

Arshad noted that the pumps had not even exceeded 12 months since their last recalibration and questioned the rationale behind the Centre’s notification, saying that “The Karnataka government will not implement that notification. We will not issue the circular because it would adversely affect the interests of consumers and the people of Karnataka"

Arshad noted that across the 3,071 dispensing nozzles/guns inspected, 2,618 were found to have under-delivery of petrol or diesel. This highlights the need for regular verification and timely recalibration.

He said that the state government has launched Mission Nikhara, an awareness campaign across Karnataka to protect consumers from measurement-related violations, and the government aims to verify 2,500 fuel pumps by December. 

“Every rupee you pay at a fuel station must get you the exact, full measure of fuel,” he said.