Nepal PM splits ministries to expand cabinet, inducts 15 new ministers

Nepal's newly elected Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Friday split ministries and inducted 15 new ministers.

This move comes after Oli garnered the majority in vote of confidence held in Parliament.

In the move to bring on more ministers on board, Oli split ministries and formed Ministry of Irrigation, Youth and Sports Ministry and the Labor and Employment Ministry on Friday and inducted additional 15 ministers in his cabinet to appease the supporting parties.

In the latest Cabinet expansion move, six lawmakers from the Communist Party of Nepal- Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) and five from the Maoist Center were inducted into the cabinet.

In addition, other four state ministers were inducted the cabinet formed after Nepal adopted federal ruling system.

With the latest cabinet expansion, the total number of ministers stands at 21.

Oli appointed CPN-UML's lawmaker Pradeep Gyawali Foreign Affairs Minister; Gokarna Bista as Labour, Employment and Social Security Minister; Rabindra Adhikari as Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister; Jagat Bishwokarma as Youth and Sports Minister, Raghubir Mahaseth as Physical Infrastructure and Transportation Minister and Sher Bahadur Tamang as Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister.

Barsaman Pun from the Maoist Center has been appointed as Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Minister followed by Giriraj Mani Pokhrel as Education, Science and Technology Minister; Shakti Basnet as Forest and Environment Minister, Bina Magar as Drinking Water Minister and Chakrapani Khanal as Agriculture, Land Management and Cooperatives Minister.

Likewise, Gokul Baskota from the CPN-UML has been appointed as State Minister for Information and Communications, Padma Kumari Aryal as State Minister for Health and Population, Dhan Bahadur Buda as State Minister for Culture Tourism and Civil Aviation. From the Maoist Center's side Ram Kumari Chaudhary has been appointed as State Minister for Agriculture, Land Management and Cooperatives.

The oath taking ceremony was held in President's Residence Sheetal Niwas. President Bidya Devi Bhandari administered the oath of office and secrecy to the newly appointed ministers.

First Prime Minister of Federal Nepal KP Sharma Oli assumed the office on February 15, 2018.