Cabinet reshuffled

Kathmandu, June 22

President Bidya Devi Bhandari Sunday reshuffled the cabinet on the recommendation of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba by inducting four new ministers and one state minister.

The Prime Minister made the change in his cabinet according to the recommendation of the CPN (Unified Socialist), one of the coalition parties, which had been exercising to replace four of its cabinet ministers and appoint one state minister

According to a press statement of the Office of the President, Jiban Ram Shrestha is given the portfolio of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Metmani Chaudhary, Ministry of Urban Development, and Bhawani Prasad Khapung, Ministry of Health and Population.

Likewise, Sher Bahadur Kunwar is assigned to the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security while Hira Chandra KC is appointed as the Minister of State for Health and Population.

Shrestha has succeeded Prem Bahadur Ale while Chaudhary and Khapung replaced Ram Kumari Jhakri and Birodh Khatiwada respectively. Khapung was serving as Minister of State for Health and Population.

Similarly, Kunwar has succeeded Krishna Kumar Shrestha.

According to the reshuffle, other ministers' portfolio has not been changed. Prime Minister Deuba, as usual, will look after the portfolio of the Ministry of Defense.

Bal Krishna Khand is given the portfolio of Home Affairs while Gyanendra Bahadur Karki will continue as Minister for Communication and Information Technology.

 Others continuing the same positions are Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Pampha Bhusal, Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration Rajendra Prasad Shrestha,  Minister for Finance Janardan Sharma,  Minister for Water Supply Umakanta Chaudhary, Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr. Narayan Khadka, Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Renu Kumari Yadav, Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies  Dilendra Prasad Badu, Minister for Education, Science and Technology Devendra Poudel, Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development Mahindra Ray Yadav, and Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizen Uma Regmi.

Other ministers with the earlier portfolio are Shashi Shrestha of the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation, Ram Sahaya Prasad Yadav of the Ministry of Forest and Environment, Maheshwor Jung Gahatraj of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and Govinda Prasad Sharma (Koirala) of the Ministry of Law, Justice and Federal Affairs.

Similarly, Umesh Shrestha and Bodh Maya Kumari Yadav have remained with their Minister of State responsibility at the Office of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology respectively.

 Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 23 June 2022.