New Delhi, May 12 -- The petroleum ministry on Monday said it is working on austerity measures to conserve energy, suggesting that an increase in retail prices of petrol and diesel may be in the offing.

The ministry's joint secretary Sujata Sharma, who mentioned this, did not detail the measures during the inter-ministerial briefing on the fallout of the crisis in West Asia.

Sharma's comment is especially significant because it comes a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged people to conserve energy and also foreign exchange.

Government officials familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity that the measures could range from raising pump prices of petrol and diesel to reduce their consumption to work-from-home for up t...