The Petroleum Ministry on Thursday urged citizens to avoid panic buying of LPG cylinders amid 'concerns' regarding shortage of cooking gas in the country.

Addressing the press, Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary (Marketing & Oil Refinery) in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG), dismissing reports that there is severe crisis of cooking gas in several states, said LPG production has been increased by 28 percent after the govt passed orders. India has vast network of retail outlets.

"1 lakh retail outlets running in country and no dry out reported in any of these outlet," added the bureaucrat.

Detailing the distribution facilities prevailing in the country, she said there are 25,000 distributors throughout the country. On the distribution side no dry out has happened.

Talking specifically about panic buying, she cautioned citizens to avoid panic booking of LPG cylinders. She noted that there has been many-fold increase in booking numbers due to panic.

"Regarding commercial LPG, major decision taken, some commercial cylinders will also be released in coordination with state govt. Alternate fuel options being activated to ease pressure on LPG and gas channels. Another 48,000 kilo litre of kerosene will be released to states in addition to 1 lakh kilolitre given earlier," the bureaucrat informed the media.

"Alternate fuel options are being activated to ease pressure on LPG and gas channels. On quarterly basis, government does an allocation of kerosene to the states. And every quarter, we are making an allocation of almost 1 lakh kiloliter," remarked the official.