Chief Minister Narayan Rane said there was a long pending demand in this regard from the medical fraternity and government took the decision after giving a detailed thought. ``Homeopaths who completed their degree/diploma after taking admissions to the medical colleges before or during the period 1992-93 would have to undergo a special 6-month long course to learn necessary allopathic techniques. They will be allowed to prescribe allopathic medicines after succeeding in the course,'' said Rane.

Statinfg that there were about 29,000 homeopaths in the State, the CM said that the government's decision would not violate a Supreme Court judgement preventing homeopahts from practising allopathy.

JAWAN'S FUND: The state cabinet today decided to donate a month's salary of all ministers to soldiers who had died during while defending the border at Kargil.

The CM made the announcement at a pressconference held at Mantralaya this afternoon. Thus the state cabinet will donate about Rs 10 lakh (Rs 11,500 per minister in the ministry of 48 members) this month, Rane said.

He appealed government and semi-government employees to donate a day's salary for the cause. About Rs 20 crore more could then be donated to the fund, the CM added.

AID TO THEATRES: The state cabinet has decided to provide financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh to professional Marathi theatre groups.

``This is an effort to promote the Marathi theatre on the lines of Marathi cinema. The government already has a scheme of financially assisting Marathi film producers,'' said Rane.

He added that the theatre group will have to be more than five years old and should have produced good quality plays. The Cultural Affairs department of the state government will chose the theatre group to be assisted under the scheme, said the CM. He added that Rs 1 lakh will be given at the time of muhurat of a play, Rs 1 lakh on the first showof the play, Rs 1 lakh after the play completes 25 shows and the remaining Rs 1 lakh after the play completes 50 shows.

TRAINING WOMEN: Rane said that over 18,583 girls in 312 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) statewide would benefit from the decision. He said any girl going to the ITI after passing SSC examination will get free education there. He said the decision will cost Rs 33.45 lakh to the state exchequer. When asked, Rane said the girls could avail of different government self-employment schemes completing the ITI course.