BIRATNAGAR, Sept 25: Koshi Province Chief Minister Hikmat Kumar Karki has prepared to expand the provincial cabinet. Karki has prepared to expand the cabinet by appointing four ministers.

According to Chief Minister Karki, the matter of appointing ministers to the remaining ministries in Koshi Province is being discussed. Karki said, “The issue of appointing four ministers is under discussion. There is a possibility that the ministers will be appointed today.” According to Karki, discussions are going on to appoint Buddhikumar Rajbhandari, Leela Ballabh Adhikari, Ram Prasad Mehta and Niran Rai as ministers. Karki said that along with the responsibilities of the ministries, the cabinet expansion and oath taking will also take place.

According to Karki, the issue of assigning responsibility to the ministers is being discussed and is yet to be finalized. Earlier, Chief Minister Karki formed a five-member cabinet with one province minister on September 8 in which Til Kumar Menyangbo was given the responsibility of Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Energy and Health, Panchkarna Rai was given the responsibility of Ministry of Forest Environment and Tourism, Ministry of Industrial Land Management and Agriculture and Ekraj Karki was given the responsibility of Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development. Similarly, Srijana Rai was appointed as a Minister of State for Social Welfare.

The Supreme Court last Thursday dismissed the then Chief Minister Uddhav Thapa and ordered Hikmat Kumar Karki, the leader of the CPN-UML parliamentary party, to be appointed as the Chief Minister in accordance with Article 168(3) of the Constitution. According to the court's order, on September 8, Province Chief Parshuram Khapung appointed Karki as the chief minister of Koshi Province.

 
• Koshi