Deuba inducts additional 15 state ministers in his cabinet

KATHMANDU, August 23: Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has inducted additional 15 state ministers in his cabinet on Tuesday. 

Those inducted on Tuesday include 12 state ministers from the prime minister's own party, Nepali Congress (NC) and three others from Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar-led Nepal Loktantrik Forum (NLF). 

According to the Prime Minister's Office, the state ministers appointed from NC include Sita Gurung (Physical Infrastructure and Transport), Sarita Prasain (Agriculture Development), Shesh Nath Adhikari (Education), Nara Bahadur Chand (Commerce), Abdul Rajjak Gaddi (Drinking Water), Tapta Bahadur Bista (Information and Communications) and Amar Singh Pun (Irrigation). 

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Dil Man Pakhrin (Law), Udaya SJB Rana (Finance), Dilli Bahadur Chaudhary (Labor and Employment), Teju Lal Chaudhary (Youth and Sports) and Champa Devi Khadka (Cooperative and Poverty Alleviation)  are among those appointed state ministers from the NC.

Prime Minister Deuba also inducted Janak Raj Chaudhary (Federal Affairs and Local Development), Sumitra Tharuni (Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation) and Yashoda Kumari Lama (Land Reform and Management) as state ministers in his cabinet from ruling Nepal Loktantrik Forum. 

Deuba's cabinet currently has 13 ministers from NC, nine ministers from the CPN (Maoist Center), three ministers from Nepal Loktantrik Forum and one from the CPN (Samyukta). On Sunday, the prime minister had inducted nine statement ministers from the main coalition partner CPN (Maoist Center).  

With the induction of additional state ministers from NC and the NLF on Tuesday, Deuba cabinet has a total of 49 members. 

Prime Minister Deuba currently holds various four ministerial portfolios including Industry; Forest and Soil Conservation; Science and Technology; and Peace and Reconstruction in his bid to bring fringe parties including Rastriya Prajatantra Party onboard the cabinet. 

Party insiders say no matter which parties decide to join the cabinet, they are sure to appoint state ministers as well. This will eventually make the cabinet largest-ever in Nepal's history, taking the number to at least 57.