King reshuffles cabinet

His Majesty King Gyanendra has reconstituted the cabinet under his chairmanship as per the Article 127 of the Kingdom of Nepal 1990.

His Majesty constituted a 35 member cabinet including two vice-chairmen, 12 ministers, 7 state ministers and 14 assistant ministers.

His Majesty has included 18 new faces in the government while removing some ministers appointed after the February 1 royal takeover.

There are two vice-chairmen Dr. Tulsi Giri and Kirti Nidhi Bista in the new cabinet as well.

Badri Prasad Mandal has been handed the General Administration portfolio while Keshar Bahadur Bista has been given the portfolio of Agriculture and Co-operatives.

Kamal Thapa has been assigned the Home Ministry's portfolio, Buddhiman Tamang Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies.

Narayan Singh Pun has been handed the Land Reform and Management portfolio while Tanka Dhakal, the present Information and Communications Minister has been handed the Local Development Ministry. Niranjan Thapa remains the Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary affairs.

HM the King removed some controversial ministers from the cabinet. Those excluded from the Cabinet include Home Minister Dan Bahadur Shahi, Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare Durga Shrestha and Finance Minister Madhukar Shumser Rana.

Rastriya Prajatantra Party, the third largest party in the dissolved House of Representatives received key portfolios in the new cabinet, while Chairman of recently formed Prajatantrik Nepal Party and Nepal Samata party also got a place as full ministers in the new cabinet. Buddhi Raj Bajracharya, present minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation has been shifted as minister without portfolio.

However, there was no representation from opposition alliance of seven political parties. The reshuffle came at a time when the King is facing pressure from international communities to find consensus with the political parties to resolve the problem dogging the country.

Comment from opposition seven political parties was not immediately available. nepalnews.com pb Dec 07 05

Chairman King Gyanendra   Vice Chairmen Portfolios Dr Tulsi Giri Minister for Water Resources Kirtinidhi Bista Ministers 3 Badri Prasad Mandal General Administration 4 Keshar Bahadur Bista Agriculture and Cooperatives 5 Ramesh Nath Pandey Foreign Affairs 6 Radha Krishna Mainali Education and Sports 7 Kamal Thapa Home 8 Buddiman Tamang Industry, Commerce and Supply 9 Salim Miya Ansari Forest and Soil Conservation 10 Prakash Koirala Environment and Science and Technology 11 Narayan Singh Pun Land Reform and Management 12 Buddhi Raj Bajracharya Without Portfolio 13 Tanka Dhakal Local Development 14 Niranjan Thapa Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs State Ministers: 15 Rabindra Khanal Labour and Transport Management 16 Dr Roop Jyoti Finance 17 Yankila Sherpa Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation 18 Mani Lama Health and Population 19 Brajesh Kumar Gupta Physical Planning and Works 20 Dr Durga Pokharel Women, Children and Social Welfare 21 Shreesh Shumsher Rana Information and Communications Asst. Ministers 22 Hari Shankar Pariyar Forest and Soil Conservation 23 Binod Kumar Shah Water Resources 24 Chhaka Bahadur Lama Physical Planning and Works 25 Golchhe Sarki Women, Children and Social Welfare 26 Nikshya Shumsher Rana Health and Population 27 Govind Chaudhary Agriculture and Cooperative 28 Yagna Bahadur Budathoki Land Reform and Management 29 Toran Bahaduur Gurung General Administration 30 Roshan Karki Local Development 31 Bhuwan Pathak Education and Sports 32 Rajesh Kaji Shrestha Industry, Commerce and Supply 33 Tek Narayan Rajbanshi Labour and Transport Management 34 Pratap Ram Lohar Environment and Science and Technology 35 Sonelal Yadav Home

Related News
- List of Cabinet Ministers