Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Sudurpashchim Chief Minister Dirgha Sodari has resorted to splitting ministries to allocate portfolios to five ministers in his cabinet.
According to the newly appointed Minister for Water Resources and Urban Development, Akkal Rawal, four ministries were split on Sunday.
The Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Development has been divided into the Ministry of Water Resources and Urban Development, and the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport Development. Similarly, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, and the Ministry of Health, Women and Children have been formed by splitting the Ministry of Social Development. Additionally, three new ministries – the Ministry of Forest, Environment and Cooperatives; the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Management; and the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Tourism and Culture – were created by reorganizing divisions of the Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment, and the Ministry of Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperative Development.
Sodari has assigned the Ministry of Water Resources and Urban Development to Akkal Rawal of CPN (Maoist Center), the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports to Laxmi BK of the Maoist Center, the Ministry of Forest, Environment and Cooperatives to Bir Bahadur Thapa of CPN-UML, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Law to Hira Sarki of CPN-UML.
Likewise, the responsibility of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Tourism and Culture has been given to Maya Panta of CPN (Unified Socialist), the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport Development to Kalash Chaudhhary of Nagarik Unmukti, the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reforms to Tika Thapa of Nagarik Unmukti, and the Ministry of Health, Women and Children to Om Bikram Bhat of CPN (Maoist Center).
Sodari, who is the Unified Socialist leader, was appointed Chief Minister on April 18 with the support of Maoist Center, UML, Nagarik Unmukti, among other parties.
