An increase in diesel, cooking gas and kerosene price is "unavoidable", Oil Minister S Jaipal Reddy said today but indicated that the hike may not be decided by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs at its meeting later in the evening.

"There is a meeting of the CCPA (this evening). This item (increase in diesel and cooking fuel) is not listed," he told reporters after meeting Finance Minister P Chidambaram here.

"I am not sure if the item will be taken up at all today." Reddy said he had yesterday circulated an updated version of a note detailing the crisis created by rise in crude oil prices and fall in value of rupee against the US dollar to members of the CCPA, which is headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.