Spurious bio-diesel sold in TN, IOCL warns public

Selling spurious product in the name of 'bio-diesel' directly to end users was 'illegal' and 'punishable', IndianOil said in a statement here on Thursday. 

''It was recently observed that some suppliers of an automotive fuel of dubious quality, purported to be Bio Diesel are mushrooming in the market and are involved in clandestine marketing of this spurious product in the name of biodiesel..'', the statement issued on behalf of State level coordinator for oil industry in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, said. 

In markets like Salem, Namakkal, Sankari, Tuticorin, Erode and Coimbatore, the 'unauthorized' sale of the spurious product was 'heavily polluting' the environment and damaging the vehicles, IOCL said. The product was harmful to public health and causes huge revenue loss to the exchequer, it said. 

Noting that the suppliers 'stealthily' operated without name boards, IndianOil said such supplies jeopardize the genuine efforts of the Petroleum Ministry in terms of ensuring cleaner BS-VI product supplies. A genuine bio-diesel with specifications of BIS 15607/2016 (B-100) can be marketed only with prior approval of the state government. 

IndianOil said premises selling Bio-diesel should have valid statutory licenses and meet the required petroleum safety standards. 

''It is understood the Government of Tamil Nadu has not issued authorization for marketing of bio-diesel to anyone other than currently operating oil marketing companies,'' IndianOil said. The oil major warned that selling such spurious products in the name of 'Bio-diesel' to direct end users like road transporters and other industrial users, was 'illegal' and 'punishable'. 

According to company officials, genuine bio-diesel can be sold only for the purpose of blending with hi-speed diesel upto 7 per cent as allowed in the National Biofuel policy of 2018.