Sudurpashchim cabinet expanded

KATHMANDU: Sudurpashchim Province Chief Minister Kamal Bahadur Shah has expanded his cabinet for the third time, inducting two ministers and one minister of state in his cabinet.

Shah has appointed Rameshwar Chaudhary of Nagarik Unmukti as Minister for Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives, and Ghanashyam Chaudhary of the same party as the minister of state.

The ministry was lying vacant for the past six months. Although Nagarik Unmukti gave a vote of confidence to Shah six months ago, it had been refusing to join the government stating that it was being denied the ministries as promised.

The party only agreed to join the government after Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and leaders of the ruling coalition intervened in the matter on Tuesday.

Likewise, Shah has appointed Shiva Raj Bhatta of the Nepali Congress (NC) as the Minister for Internal Affairs and Law. The ministry was lying vacant since the demise of Prithvi Bahadur Singh in a road accident on June 20.