Making this appeal during a meeting with the MPs at State guest house, Sahyadri, the chief minister also requested them to follow up other problems faced by the State for which the State government expected assistance from Union Government.

``The farmers in the State have incurred heavy losses due to untimely showers and floods this year. The State Government has sent a detailed proposal to the Union Government to release financial assistance to the tune of 452.26 crore rupees for farmers in Maharashtra,'' Joshi said.

Joshi said that the Monopoly Cotton Procurement Scheme, which was extended by a year by the Union Government, will come to an end on June 30, 1999. ``The Union Government has communicated to us that no extension will be given to the scheme henceforth. But for the benefitof cotton-growing farmers in Vidarbha region, it is necessary that the scheme is extended for next at least five years. The MPs should dicuss this matter in the winter session of the Parliament,'' Joshi said.

The chief minister added that the Central Government has announced laying of a 7,000 km highway from Saurashtra to Silchar. He requested the MPs to ask the Central Government's committee concerned to change the present alignment of the highway and add Nashik, Dhule, Jalgaon, Nagpur and Raipur to it. ``The highway will be of extreme importance as far as industrial development in these places is concerned. The Central government should change the alignment of the highway,'' Joshi said.

Among other issues the CM included in the demand list are subsidy to purchase onions, assistance for development of small ports in the State, various railway projects and supply of liquified petroleum gas in Maharashtra.