Nepal PM expands cabinet inducting 13 new ministers

Nepali Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has expanded his cabinet inducting 13 new ministers including the minister of foreign affairs, taking its total strength to 31.

Nepali President Bidhya Devi Bhandari administered the oath of office and secrecy to the newly-inducted ministers at a function held at the Presidential Palace Sheetal Niwas in the capital on Friday where top government dignitaries and leaders from various political parties were present.

The new ministers sworn in on Friday include Bal Krishna Khand, Minister for Defence; Prakash Sharan Mahat, Minister for Foreign Affairs; Sita Devi Yadav, Minister for Peace and Reconstruction; and Jeevan Bahadur Shahi, Minister for Tourism, among others.

All the newly appointed ministers belong to the Nepali Congress, a key coalition partner under Dahal-led new government and the country's largest party in the Parliament.

Earlier, the Nepali Congress party had inducted Bimalendra Nidhi and Ramesh Lekhak to the cabinet as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Home Affairs, and the Minister for Physical Infrastructure respectively.

Dahal, chairman of the CPN (Maoist Center), was elected 39th prime minister on August 3. Dahal succeeded CPN (UML) chairman K P Sharma Oli who had been in power since October 11, 2015. Endit