Sudurpaschim cabinet expanded

By Our Correspondent,Dhandgadhi, May 22: Chief Minister of Sudurpaschim Province Kamal Bahadur Shah, on the 100th day of his appointment, expanded his Council of Ministers by inducting three new ministers and one state minister on Saturday. Despite the expansion, the Ministry of Land Management and Agriculture and Cooperatives has still remained vacant. 

Newly appointed ministers took the oath of office and secrecies from Province Chief Dev Raj Joshi amidst a function held at the office of Province Chief on Saturday itself. 

The newly appointed ministers include Prithvi Bahadur Singh, a member of the Provincial Assembly elected from Bajhang district in the ticket of the Nepali Congress, Jhapat Bahadur Saud of CPN (Maoist-Centre) elected from Achham and Ramesh Singh Dhami of the Maoist Centre elected from Kailali.

Singh has been given the responsibility of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Law, Rawal of the Ministry of Social Development and Dhami of the Ministry of Industry, Forest and Environment. 

Gita Devi Mal of Dadeldhura has been appointed as the Minister of State for Industries, Forests and Environment. Chief Minister Shah administered the oath of office and secrecy to Mal also on Saturday.

Speaker Bhim Bahadur Bhandari, Physical Infrastructure Development Minister Prakash Bahadur Deuba, Economic Affairs Minister Naresh Kumar Shahi and the Provincial Assembly members were present in the swearing-in ceremony.

The Ministry of Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives is still laying vacant after Nagarik Unmukti Party of jailed Resham Chaudhary demanded two ministries. Only the Ministry of Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives was supposed to be given to the party.

Constitutionally, the Sudurpaschim Province can have 10 ministers, including seven ministers and three state ministers. After the expansion of the Council of Ministers on Saturday, the Cabinet has now seven members.