With rupee depreciation leading to jump in oil import bill, petroleum minister S. Jaipal Reddy on Tuesday said there is an immediate need to raise fuel prices, but refused to say when the hike will actually take place.

“It (price increase) is very essential but (before hiking rates) we have to talk to political parties,” he told reporters here on way to Ashgabat for signing of the agreement for the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India pipeline.