It has been nearly a month since the Lumbini provincial government was formed but the cabinet is yet to get full shape. Chief Minister Leela Giri formed a three-member cabinet after assuming office on January 12. Chetnarayan Acharya from CPN-UML and Krishna KC from Maoist Center were the other two ministers in the cabinet.
Giri, who was appointed as the Chief Minister on January 11 took the vote of confidence from the provincial assembly on January 19. However, the expansion of the Cabinet was delayed after Jokh Bahadur Mahara, the leader of the Parliamentary Party of the CPN (Maoist Center), the ruling coalition member party, was bereaved of his mother. According to Chief Minister Giri’s Secretariat, the government is working to expand after the cabinet after the National Assembly elections.
National Assembly election will be held in Lumbini Province on February 8. Mahara, the leader of the Maoist Center Parliamentary Party, also said that the government will get full shape only after the National Assembly elections. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Giri has discussed with his coalition partners on the issues of government expansion, minimum common program of the government and other related issues.
Central member of CPN-UML and member of provincial assembly Bhumishwar Dhakal also says that the provincial government will be expanded soon after the National Assembly elections to be held tomorrow. Chetnarayan Acharya, Minister and spokesperson of the government, says that the council of ministers will be given full shape within the next few days. He said the delay was due to the need to establish Deukhuri as the provincial capital and set for required physical infrastructure for the same.
With the decision to slash the number of ministries in the province, the cabinet is likely to be a 10-member cabinet including the Chief Minister. —
