Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's efforts to end a dispute over Sai Baba's birthplace has come to naught because the Pathri temple trustees want him to appoint a research team to establish that Sai Baba was indeed born there. They refused to accept a compromise deal offered on Monday.

Shirdi and Pathri are engaged in a row ever since the latter was sanctioned Rs 100 crore by the government for infrastructure development.