As the state assembly election nears, and as the state medical education department is hurriedly trying to implement the Maharashtra government’s proposal to allow homoeopaths to practice modern medicine, the Advocate General has thrown a spanner in the works.The AG, Darius Khambata, has made it clear that the state must seek permission from the centre before moving on the issue.The state cabinet had this January, decided to allow homoeopaths to practice allopathy provided they complete a year-long course prescribed by Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, Nashik.A large number of homoeopaths had demonstrated at Azad Maidan demanding such a privilege. The Maharashtra Medical Council and Indian Medical Association had opposed the proposal and are waiting for the final notification of the state government so that they can move court.The medical education department, under whose jurisdiction the matter fell, was earlier headed by NCP minister Dr Vijaykumar Gavit. But after he was sacked from the post, the party handed over the department to deputy CM Ajit Pawar. A close relative of union minister and NCP chief Sharad Pawar is a member of the Maharashtra Homoeopathic Council which has been actively persuading the state government to allow its members to practise allopathy.Last week at a meeting attended by Ajit Pawar, chief secretary J S Saharia and medical education secretary Manisha Mhaiskar, Khambata clearly told them that permission of the union government would be required for such a proposal.Sources in state government said Medical Council of India 1956 guidelines did not allow any medical course to be initiated without prior approval from MCI and government of India. As this would take a lot of time, the state would not able to allow homoeopaths to practise allopathy before the assembly polls.Khambata refused to comment on the issue. Chief Secretary J S Saharia said: “Khambata had reservations about the proposal. He will now submit a report to us.”