PM Dahal reshuffles Cabinet for seventh time in three months

KATHMANDU, March 31: On Friday, as many as 12 newly appointed ministers took an oath of office and secrecy. This marks the seventh time that Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' has reshuffled the Cabinet in the past three months. The new Cabinet includes members from Nepali Congress, CPN (Unified Socialist), Janata Samajbadi Party, Loktantrik Samajbadi Party, and Nagarik Unmukti Party.

In the first phase, four Ministers were appointed from Nepali Congress, with Purna Bahadur Khadka becoming the Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister, Prakash Sharan Mahat assuming the role of Finance Minister, Ramesh Rijal appointed as the Industry, Commerce and Supply Minister, and Sita Gurung becoming the Urban Development Minister.

Other Ministers include Shakti Basnet, who has been appointed as the Minister of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation from the CPN Maoist Center, Veduram Bhusal as the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Prakash Jwala as the Minister of Physical Infrastructure and Transport from the Unified Socialist, Ashok Rai as the Minister of Education, Science, and Technology from the Janata Samajbadi Party, Saratsingh Bhandari as the Minister of Labour, Employment, and Social Security from Loktantrik Samajbadi Party, Ranjita Shrestha Chaudhary as the Minister of Land Management, Cooperatives, and Poverty Alleviation from the Nagarik Unmukti Party, and Mahindra Raya Yadav as the Minister of Women, Children, and Senior Citizens from the Nepal Samajbadi Party.

The move to include Ministers from multiple parties is seen as an effort to address the political instability in Nepal and ensure a broader representation of voices in the government.