Minister Gurung hints at cabinet reshuffle amid growing speculation

KATHMANDU: Minister for Communication and Information Technology, Prithvi Subba Gurung, has hinted at a possible reshuffle of the Council of Ministers, citing growing public and political curiosity due to the absence of changes for over 13 months.

Speaking at a press conference held at the Ministry today, Minister Gurung stated that while cabinet reshuffles typically occur every 2–3 months in many countries, Nepal has seen no such changes for more than a year. “Now the issue is being widely discussed, which is not unnatural,” he remarked in response to journalists’ queries.

Gurung clarified that a reshuffle could take place if consensus is reached within the ruling political mechanism that includes both the CPN-UML and Nepali Congress.

He added that any potential changes would follow internal party discussions, especially if concerns arise regarding the performance of current ministers.

However, he emphasized that there is no immediate atmosphere of distrust between coalition partners UML and Congress at the moment.

Key Cabinet Decisions Shared

During the press conference, Minister Gurung also shared major decisions made during the Cabinet meeting held on Shrawan 12 (July 27).

• The Cabinet has decided to accept a grant assistance of 2.8 billion Japanese Yen from the Government of Japan for the emergency restoration of flood-damaged roads in Sindhuli.

• Additionally, a task force has been formed to present a report with recommendations on standardizing the salaries and benefits of officials and employees in government-funded institutions, boards, and committees.

The task force will be led by Ramu Prasad Dotel of Parbat, with members Ramesh Prasad Shivakoti of Dolakha and Chandi Prasad Ghimire of Lalitpur.