Senior BJP ministers said Munde boycotted the Cabinet meeting to protest the failure of the alliance government in hiking cotton prices under the Monopoly Cotton Procurement Scheme, although Chief Minister Manohar Joshi denied this.

``The proposal on demands of the teachers was moved at the Cabinet meeting today. However, it was not considered following a request from Munde, who was unable to reach Mumbai,'' Chief Minister Manohar Joshi told mediapersons after the meeting.

Joshi denied that Munde boycotted the Cabinet meeting, saying he could not reach Mumbai in time. ``On behalf of Munde, Rural Development Minister Anna Dange requested that the issue not be taken up. It was Dange'scontention that since Munde was also involved in negotiations with the teachers, no decision should be taken without his consent,'' Joshi said.

According to a senior Minister, although Joshi had promised the striking teachers that their demands would be considered at the next Cabinet meeting, it was not on the agenda. A proposal was moved by Education Minister Sudhir Joshi with the permission of the Chief Minister, but it was not considered owing to Munde's absence.

The teachers had called off their 39-day strike following Thackeray's interveention. The Sena chief, in presence of Manohar Joshi and Minister for Education Sudhir Joshi, had promised teachers that their demands would be considered on priority, preferably in the next Cabinet meeting.

``We will certainly take up their pending demands in the next Cabinet meeting. A delay of one week will not make much difference to the teachers,'' Joshi added.

Joshi also announced the bifurcation of Parbhani district in Marathwada and Bhandara district inVidarbha. ``While a new district -- Hingoli -- will be carved out of Parbhani, Gondia will be carved out of Bhandara. The new districts will come into existence from May 1,'' Joshi added.

Joshi said a high-level Cabinet sub-committee headed by Revenue Minister Narayan Rane will take a decision on the creation of new districts. ``At the moment, the proposals of bifurcation of Thane, Ahmadnagar and Nasik districts are pending before the committee,'' Joshi added.

The Chief Minister also announced that the Shiv Sena-BJP coordination committee meeting will be held on January 29. ``The committee will discuss providing free power to farmers and hike in cotton prices under the Monopoly Cotton Procurement Scheme,'' Joshi added.