While submitting it, the delegation also urged Joshi to reduce the fixed rate of wheat, to check the on-going inflation under the scheme.

The Vajpayee Government has decided to take various steps to control the prices of all essential commodities, and accordingly decided to release 4 million tonnes of wheat soon for three months, December 1998, January and February 1999.

Under the scheme, the Government would provide wheat at the rate of Rs 645 per quintal to northern states, Rs 689 to western zone, Rs 708 to eastern and north-eastern states, and at the rate of Rs 716 per quintal to southern region.

Shiv Sena demanded that the Vajpayee Government should provide wheat to Maharashtra atthe rate of Rs 600 per quintal. The Government has reduced the rate by Rs 44 per quintal for the neighbouring Madhya Pradesh. ``If the Union Government can slash down the price for Madhya Pradesh, why is it not doing so for Maharashtra ?'' the pro-Hindu party asked.

Issuing a press statement here on Monday, Kanhaiyalal Gidwani, the former Director of Food Corporation of India (FCI) and convenor of Action Committee of Essential Commodities, Shiv Sena, requested the Chief Minister to take appropriate steps to reduce the price of wheat under the scheme. ``If the Vajpayee Government fails to reduce the rate for Maharashtra, the State Government should provide the required subsidiary to the consumers, so that common people will be benefitted,'' he said and pointed out that this would cost only a meagre amount of Rs 15 crore.

The Shiv Sena has already condemned the Vajpayee Government for its failure to slash down the price and urged Joshi to announce the reduced rate of wheat immediately, as a New Year's giftto the people of Maharashtra. The Union Government allotted 50,000 million tonnes of wheat per month to Maharashtra for the three months, as a part of OMSS of wheat.

Meanwhile, the issue also figured in the on-going State Legislature session.