Pokhara, May 12: Chief Minister of Gandaki Province Surendraraj Pandey has appointed four ministers on Friday. According to office of the Chief Minister, Nepali Congress leader Jeet Prakash Ale from Tanahun has been appointed as Minister of Economic Affairs, Mahendra Dhwaj GC from Nawalpur as Minister of Agriculture and Land Managemen, and Dipendra Bahadur Thapa from Baglung as Minister of Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment.
Likewise, CPN (Maoist Centre) leader Resham Jugjali has been appointed as the Minister of Physical Infrastructure Development and Transport Management. Congress’s Saraswati Aryal Tiwari, who has already taken oath as minister without portfolio, has been given the responsibility of Energy, Water Resources and Drinking Water, and Sushila Simkha of the Maoist Centre has been given the responsibility of Social and Health Ministry.
The newly appointed ministers took the oath of office and secrecy before the state chief Prithviman Gurung amid a special ceremony today. Earlier, the Council of Ministers meeting held on Thursday revised the work division of the ministry as per Rule 8 of Gandaki Provincial Government (Division of Work) Rules, 2074 BS.
According to the new work division, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Law has been merged into the Office of the Chief Minister and the Council of Ministers. From now on, the office of the Chief Minister and the Council of Ministers will also handle the work responsibilities of peace and security, disaster management, state assembly affairs, law, communication, etc.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Forestry and Environment, the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development and Transport and the Ministry of Social Development and Health remain unchanged. Pandey, who was appointed as the Chief Minister on 14th Baisakh, has already received the vote of confidence on 21st Baisakh.
In the 60-member provincial assembly, 35 members of the provincial assembly, including 27 from the Congress, seven from the Maoist centre and one from the CPN (Unified Socialist), gave him a vote of confidence. CPN (UML) with 22 seats in the state assembly and Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) with two seats have reached the opposition role.
