MUMBAI, July 5: A section of the BJP ministers today openly criticised Chief Minister Manohar Joshi for what they described as his unnecessary interference in their departments.

At a high-level meeting of BJP ministers at the official residence of Deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde, the cabinet members felt that either Munde or senior BJP leader Pramod Mahajan should hold talks with the Chief Minister to settle the dispute in the larger interest of the alliance government. The main contention of these ministers was that Joshi was in the habit of convening meeting of officials of their departments without even informing them. ``It is the prerogative of the Chief Minister to convene a meeting of any department or summon any official, but for smooth functioning, it will be proper if the concerned minister is informed about,'' a senior minister said.

Secondly, the complaint was about the appointment of non-official directors on the Maharashtra State Cotton Growers Federation headed by BJP MP Pandurang Phundkar. Recently, Joshi appointed seven non-official directors on the federation without consulting the BJP. ``All the seven belong to the Shiv Sena,'' the minister said.

They also complained against School Education Minister Sudhir Joshi in connection with opening of new schools. As per the agreed formula between the alliance partners, it was decided that BJP and Shiv Sena will get 45 per cent each, 10 per cent of the new schools will be allotted to the nominees of the independent legislators supporting the alliance government.

``Unfortunately, the schools were released in the name of either Sena leaders or the institutions run by Sena activists,'' the minister alleged.