5 new ministers sworn in in Lumbini Province

Butal, June 8

The Lumbini Province government has undergone a cabinet reshuffle, with five newly appointed ministers taking the oath of office and secrecy on Monday.

Lumbini Province Chief Krishna Bahadur Ghartimagar administered the oath to the new ministers at the Office of the Province Chief in Butwal.

The provincial cabinet was reconstituted a week ago on the recommendation of Chief Minister Chet Narayan Acharya in accordance with Article 168(9) of the Constitution of Nepal.

The reshuffled cabinet includes four ministers from the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) and one from the Janata Samajbadi Party led by Ashok Rai, although the faction has not yet received official recognition.

The newly appointed ministers are Tulsi Prasad Chaudhary, Dilli Raj Bhusal, Ramji Prasad Ghimire, Ratna Bahadur Khatri and Bhandari Lal Ahir.

Chaudhary has been assigned the Ministry of Agriculture, Land Management and Cooperatives; Bhusal the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation; Ghimire the Ministry of Health; Khatri the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development; and Ahir the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Law. Ahir has become a minister for the fourth time during the current four-year term of the Provincial Assembly.

The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Chief Minister Acharya, former Chief Minister Jokh Bahadur Mahara, Speaker Tularam Ghartimagar, Deputy Speaker Menuka Khand KC and other dignitaries.