Intervening during a reply to a question raised by Leader of Opposition Madhukar Pichad, Narsaiyya Adam, Sohal Lokhandwala, Nawab Malik and Manikrao Thakre, Munde said the Commission has recommended inclusion of 156 castes in the OBC category.

Munde also said even though the date of implementation for the recommendations of the Mandal Commission expires in 2000, his government will ensure that justice will be done to all communities under the OBC.

Pichad alleged that the government was deliberately delaying the decision since there is a demand to include Muslim Maniyar community in the OBC category.

As there was no specific assurance from the government, the Samajwadi Party members led by Nawab Malik rushed to the podium to press for theirdemand. Subsequently, Munde declared that a final decision will be taken in two months.

PROTEST: Opposition members from textile town of Solapur today lodged a novel protest against imposition of four per cent sales tax on towels and bedsheets manufactured there.

CPM's Narsaiyya Adam and Congress member Anandrao Deokate, along with members of the Samjawadi Party and PWP went to the podium and presented handloom products manufactured in Solapur units to speaker Datta Nalawade.

They submitted to the Speaker that the entire handloom industry in Solapur has declared indefinite bandh to protest against imposition of four per cent sales tax on their products.

Nalawade, then asked the agitated members to present the handloom products to Leader of Opposition Madhukar Pichad, who had vehemently opposed the imposition of such a tax on the cottage industry.

As the government was silent on the withdrawal of the tax, the entire Opposition staged a noisy walk out demanding cancellation of the tax. Later,Munde made it clear that there was no proposal before the alliance government to withdraw the tax.

``The Opposition members were starting a wrong practice. We will not succumb to such tactics. Once the tax proposal has been introduced, there was no question of withdrawing the same,'' Munde said, adding, his government has already waived Rs 100 crore due from them towards the sales tax introduced during the Congress rule.

CET FORMS: Due to acute shortage of forms, the last date of submitting application forms for Common Entrance Test for admission to MBBS course has been postponed, Health and Medical Education Minister Daulatrao Aher has said.

On a calling attention notice given by Shiv Sena members Suresh Gambhir, Daulat Daroda and Devendra Satam, Aher said now forms will be available at all the centres upto April 10, while the date of submitting the forms has been extended from April 7 to April 15. He clarified that there would be no change in the date of entrance examination scheduled to beheld on May 23.

Aher said the shortage of forms arose due to power cuts in Nashik city on March 7, 8 and 9.