Expansion of Lumbini Province Cabinet: New ministers set to take oath today

KATHMANDU: Chief Minister Jokh Bahadur Mahara has decided to widen the Cabinet in Lumbini Province.

This decision came after a consensus was reached among members of the ruling alliance on Thursday morning.

Under the agreement, CPN-UML will secure five ministerial positions, CPN (Maoist Center) will receive two, and one ministerial position each will be allocated to Nagarik Unmukti Party, Janata Samajbadi Party, and an independent lawmaker.

Chet Narayan Acharya of CPN (UML) will take on the role of Minister for Economic Affairs and Planning, Dipendra Pun of CPN (Maoist Center) will serve as Health Minister, and Bandari Lal will assume the position of Minister of Agriculture.

The assignment of ministerial portfolios to the remaining ministers—Dinesh Panti, Khadka Basnet, Dharma Bahadur Chaudhary, Arjun Kumar KC, Bhumiswor Dhakal, and Ratan Bahadur Khatri—is yet to be finalized.

The new ministers are slated to be sworn in at 5 PM later today.