Cabinet expansion in Gandaki today, who is becoming a minister?
POKHARA: JULY 22 – The expansion of the Council of Ministers, which was halted after the formation of the government on July 13, is scheduled to take place today. The ruling coalition Congress and the Maoists have agreed to complete the government by this evening.
Though it was said that the division would be settled on Wednesday, the stand of both the parties has been shifted to Thursday. In Gandaki, which has 11 ministries, six ministers are yet to be appointed. The rest of the ministers are being appointed by the Maoists and the Nepali Congress. But the ministry has not been formed yet. Chief Minister Krishnachandra Nepali Pokharel said that the cabinet would be expanded with the responsibility of the ministry till this evening. “It’s been a long time. Now we have to expand, ‘he said, adding that the cabinet will be formed by this evening. The Maoists have said they will name it. ‘
For this, the Chief Minister’s team has returned after meeting Nepali Congress President and Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. After the budget is passed, the budget has been passed by marshalling as per the previous commitment to expand the cabinet. Criticism has been growing for failing to complete the government even for a month.
The parties have said that the names of the new ministers will be finalized by Thursday afternoon. The Maoists, who will now get three ministries, will join the government led by party deputy leader Ramji Baral. Chandra Bahadur Budha of Baglung and Deepak Charti Magar of Syangja are sure to become ministers. Madhumaya Adhikari has already become a minister from the Maoists. It has been said that even his work responsibilities may be changed. However, the names of MPs including Deepak Koirala and Asha Koirala are also being discussed.
As per the previous agreement, Congress will get only two ministers. At present, the three ministries that left Jasapa are still with Congress. Mekhlal Shrestha from Syangja, Dobate Bishwakarma from Tanahun and Manibhadra Sharma from Baglung are more likely to become ministers. The names of Bindukumar Thapa of Kaski and Bhagwat Prakash Malla of Syangja are also in the news. Women MPs have demanded that there should be at least one woman minister. Man Kumari Gurung of Gorkha and Lalit Kala Gurung of Parbat are vying to become ministers. If the previous agreement is implemented, Dhanmaya Lama Pokharel will definitely become a minister.
The expansion of the cabinet has been delayed due to disagreement in the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development, which is considered to be the most important in the state. The Maoists have sought the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development. Congress has also made material claims. ‘As a second party, the Maoists’ claim to materialism is natural. The first party, the Congress, has got the chief minister, ‘said Ramji Baral, deputy leader of the Maoist parliamentary party.’ Then other power-sharing parties will be formed according to the status of the party. ‘
The Janata Samajwadi Party, which was earlier given two ministries, will now be limited to one ministry. Earlier, it was agreed to give the ministry of finance to Janta Samajbadi party Nepal. Jasapa MP Dhanmaya Lama Pokharel has been in favor of getting a minister from the very beginning. As per the previous agreement, Congress and UCPN (M) 4/4, JSP 2 and independent MP Deepak Manange were assigned one ministry. Jasapa’s Harisharan Acharya and independent MP Rajiv Gurung have become ministers. Acharya has been given the portfolio of Energy, Water Resources and Drinking Water from the Ministry of Physical Resources, while Manange has taken charge as the Minister of Youth and Sports for the third time.
Kumar Khadka of the Nepali Congress, who was sworn in as a departmental minister on June 12, has become the Minister of Social Development, while Madhumaya Adhikari of the CPN-Maoist has become the Minister of Health and Population. While expanding the cabinet, the responsibility of Social Development Minister Khadka will change. He is understood to be the Minister for Physical Infrastructure Development. There is an arrangement to make 20 percent of the number of MPs at the state level. With 60 MPs, 12 ministers can be appointed here. The previous government has split from seven to 11 ministries. The new government has indicated that it will split it into 12. However, the Chief Minister has not made public his official position on the issue. The Congress has two options: one is to split the ministry, the other is to break the agreement with the Jasapa. The meeting between the two parties held on Wednesday after the division of ministries was not settled.
