Lumbini Province Government Finalizes Ministry Allocation

Butwal. The allocation of ministries among the ruling parties in Lumbini has been finalized. Although the decision on how many ministries each party will get has been made, it is yet to be decided which ministry will be handled by whom. Chief Minister Chet Narayan Acharya told Ratopati that an agreement has been reached for the CPN (UML) to get 4 ministries including the Chief Minister, the CPN (Maoist Centre) to get 3, and the Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal to get 2 ministries out of the currently existing 9 ministries including the Chief Minister. Chief Minister Acharya said, 'An agreement has been reached for the CPN (UML) to get 4 ministries including the Chief Minister, the CPN (Maoist Centre) to get 3, and the JSP to get 2 ministries.' With the number of ministries reduced to 9, one minister from the CPN (UML) currently in the government will have to step down according to this distribution. Currently, there are 5 ministers from the CPN (UML) in the government, including the Chief Minister. Chief Minister Acharya stated that as the CPN (UML) will only get 4 ministries including the Chief Minister as per the distribution, one minister may have to be removed. Currently, Santosh Pandey, the Minister for Social Development, and Bhandarilal Ahir, the Minister for Internal Affairs and Law, are in the government from JSP Nepal. According to the agreement, JSP will get two ministries. However, Chief Minister Acharya hinted that the ministry responsibilities may be reshuffled. He did not disclose which ministry would be given to whom. According to sources, the CPN (Maoist Centre) will get three ministries, including the Ministry of Finance. Chief Minister Acharya is preparing to expand the cabinet once the names of the ministers from the CPN (Maoist Centre) are received. 'We will expand the cabinet after receiving the names of the ministers from the CPN (Maoist Centre). The ministries of the current ministers may also be reshuffled,' Acharya said. Chief Minister Acharya received a vote of confidence from the Provincial Assembly on August 17. After taking a vote of confidence, discussions were held among the CPN (UML), CPN (Maoist Centre), JSP, and Rastriya Janamorcha in the ruling coalition regarding government expansion and ministry allocation. It was previously agreed that the Rastriya Janamorcha, having one member in the Provincial Assembly, would not participate in the government but would support it. Now, Chief Minister Acharya is preparing to expand the cabinet after receiving the names of the ministers from the CPN (Maoist Centre). Acharya said that the cabinet expansion would take place by Monday, with the responsibilities of the current ministers also being reshuffled along with the ministry allocation.

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