Resham Jugjali to become minister again from Maoist Center

KATHMANDU, May 12: CPN (Maoist Center) has decided to send Resham Jugjali from Myagdi to the Gandaki provincial government.

Provincial Assembly member Sushila Simkhada from the Maoist Center was already appointed as a non-departmental minister.

According to the agreement reached in the alliance, the Maoist Center will get two ministries.

Jugjali, who was elected from Myagdi Provincial Assembly Constituency (2), was the Minister for Industry, Tourism, Forestry and Environment in the previous government. After the change of alliance, the Maoist Center was out of the federal government within less than two months. The Maoist Center has decided to make Jugjali a minister again in the Nepali Congress-led government.

The Maoist Center is going to send Jugjali to the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development and Transport and Simkhada to the Ministry of Social Development and Health.

Kusum Buda, a member of the Provincial Assembly of the Maoist Center, said that there is a possibility of cabinet expansion today.

"The Maoist Center has finalized the name of the ministers, it seems that it will take time to expand cabinet as there are many aspirants within the Nepali Congress,” Buda said, “The distribution of the ministries among the coalition parties has been agreed, the selection of the vacant minister has been delayed.”

Out of the seven, four ministries including the Chief Minister will be held by the Nepali Congress, two ministries are held by the Maoist Center and one by the CPN (Unified Socialist). Earlier, the cabinet meeting held on Thursday had changed the division of work of the ministry according to rule 8 of Gandaki Provincial Government (Division of Work) Rules, 2074.

According to the new division of work, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Law has been merged with 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 handle the work responsibilities of peace and security, disaster management, provincial assembly affairs, law, communication, etc.

Since the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources has been looking after agriculture, livestock, energy, irrigation and drinking water, now the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Drinking Water and the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Management will be separate.

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.

Saraswati Aryal Tiwari, spokesperson of the government and non-departmental minister, said that since the division of work of the ministry has been changed, the government will soon be complete.