KATHMANDU, Nov 9: The Baburam Bhattarai-led government, which earned popularity for introducing austerity measures, will now have to spend approximately 4.5 million rupees every month on salary, allowances, hospitality expenses, quarter and security of the 46-member cabinet -- the second largest in the political history of the country.
This figure will go up as the cabinet is yet to get a defense minister from the Madhesi People´s Rights Forum (Democratic) and three state ministers allotted for the Madhesi People´s Rights Forum (Republican). [break]
The prime minister could not appoint the three state ministers as the party´s Chairman JP Gupta is out of the country.
In that case, the present cabinet will be bigger than the 48-member cabinet of Sher Bahadur Deuba in the 1990s. As of today, the Deuba-led cabinet is the largest cabinet in the history of Nepal.
The 46-member cabinet includes the prime minister, two deputy prime ministers, 24 cabinet ministers and 19 state ministers. According to a calculation by Republica, the government will have to allocate Rs 4,182,465 for salary, fuel, mobile expenses and miscellany, and hospitality expenses.
With the induction of seven ministers and 19 state ministers in the cabinet on Tuesday, the government will have to allocate additional Rs 1.67 million from the state coffers.
According to the regulations relating to salary and facilities of the prime minister and ministers, the prime minister draws altogether Rs 96,916, including his salary, fuel, telecommunication and hospitality expenses, per month.
Similarly, a deputy prime minister receives altogether Rs 72,160, including salary, fuel, telecommunication and hospitality expenses, per month. Similarly, a full cabinet minister is entitled to get Rs 66,879 per month while state ministers draw Rs 63,893 per month.
CARTOON: RAJESH KC
Similarly, the government will have to arrange 28 quarters for the new ministers as the existing Ministerial Quarters at Pulchowk have the capacity to accommodate only 18 ministers. For this, the government will have to earmark Rs 40,000 for rent of each quarter per month, which means Rs 1,120,000 will go for rent alone.
In addition, as 28 ministers will have to be accommodated outside Pulchowk, the government will also have to install security posts and guard quarters of the new ministers. For that the government will have to earmark Rs 2.8 million for security of the ministers (Rs 100,000 for each minister), according to a source at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.
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In total, the state will have to allocate Rs 4,462,465 to pay the present cabinet members every month. This figure excludes the expenses to be incurred for salary and allowances to be paid to personal assistants appointed by the ministers. A minister is entitled to appoint up to five personal assistants.
UCPN (Maoist) defends cabinet expansion
Meanwhile, the UCPN (Maoist) has defended formation of the jumbo cabinet, saying circumstances demanded a large cabinet. “The political system during the transition was such that the cabinet had to be made a jumbo one,” said party Spokesperson Dinanath Sharma.
When asked why the cabinet was expanded at a time when there is consensus among the parties for the formation of a national consensus government, Sharma said an incomplete cabinet had sent a wrong message among the people. “It has also sent out a wrong message that the cabinet could not take a full shape due to internal disputes within the party,” he said.
Sources say the cabinet has been expanded so as to give a message to the party hardliners that the alliance of Prime Minister Bhattarai and Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal is ready to ignore them and move ahead with the peace process.
“It also meant to show the NC and the UML that the government is ready to advance the peace process despite serious objection from the Maoist hardliners,” said a senior Maoist leader.
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