Kathmandu. Five days after dissolving the House of Representatives, Nepali Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Friday named eight new ministers in seven ministries that were vacant and reshuffled his cabinet.
Among the newly inducted ministers, six are from the Dahal-Nepal faction of the ruling Nepal Communist Party, who left the faction to join the Oli government.
“The president has administered oaths to the nine ministers as recommended by the prime minister,” Bhesh Raj Dahal, a press advisor to President Bidya Devi Bhandari, said.
Among them, Top Bahadur Rayamajhi has got responsibility of the Ministry of Energy and Irrigation, Prabhu Sah has taken charge of the Ministry of Urban Development, Gauri Shankar Chaudhary is the Minister for Labor, while Dawa Lama has got the portfolio of Minister of Youth and Sports and Mani Thapa has been appointed as the Minister for Water Supply.
Ganesh Thagunna has been named the Minister of General Administration and Federal Affairs, Prem Ale is Minister for Forest, and Julie Mahato has been appointed as Minister for Women and Children, while Bimala Bishwokarma has got the charge of state minister for Finance.
On Dec. 20, seven ministers, all close to the Dahal-Nepal faction, resigned from the Oli cabinet, objecting its move to dissolve the parliament and go for a mid-term election in April and May next year.
“The Prime Minister also has reshuffled the Cabinet among the existing ministers,” Surya Thapa, press advisor to Oli, told Xinhua.
According to Thapa, Hrideyash Tripathi has got the charge of the Ministry of Health, Krishna Gopal Shrestha has been transferred to the Ministry of Education, Padma Aryal to the Ministry of Agriculture and Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal to the Ministry of Tourism.
Shiva Maya Tumbahangphe has been transferred to the Ministry of Land Management and Lila Nath Shrestha to the Ministry of Law and Justice.
Oli on Friday removed Jagat Bahadur Bishwokarma as Minister for Youth and Sports and Moti Lal Dugad as the state minister for Finance.
