Discussion held to replace 3 ministers and 7 new ministers in Far-West

Dhangadhi: There have been ongoing discussions regarding the  CPN-Prachanda-Nepal fraction removing three ministers from the far-western state government and adding seven new ministers, including the Minister of State.

Minister for Social Development Krishna Raj Subedi, Minister for Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment Maya Bhatt and Minister for Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives Vinita Chaudhary will be  replaced by new ministers.

The list includes Purna Joshi, Member of the Provincial Assembly, Tarala Tamang, Minister for Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment and Birman Chaudhary, Minister for Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives. Similarly, Man Bahadur Dhami could be appointed as the Minister for Physical Infrastructure Development and Dirgha Bahadur Sodari could be the Minister for Economic Affairs and Planning.

CPN (Maoist) spokesperson Akkal Rawal, who was also a claimant of the chief minister in the past, is rumoured to be the Minister of State for Forest and Environment and Kunti Joshi could be the Minister of State for Physical Infrastructure Development. However, there has been no official confirmation of the list so far.

"The names that have been made public are almost correct," a member of the Prachanda-Nepal faction told Dinesh Khabar, "but the party has not yet made an official decision." As the state in-charge comrade Bhim Rawal is also in Dhangadhi, the government will probably expand soon.

After the dissolution of the House of Representatives, the Chief Minister dismissed Pathan Singh Bohara, the Minister for Physical Infrastructure Development of the Oli faction of the CPN-Far West, which was divided into two groups, and the Minister for Economic Affairs and Planning, Jhapat Bohara, resigned.

It is estimated that the state government will be expanded as Rawal, in-charge of the Prachanda-Nepal group, arrived in Dhangadhi on Tuesday. However, the CPN-Far West has been claiming that there has been no discussion on the expansion of the state cabinet.

Earlier, Minister for Internal Affairs and Law Prakash Bahadur Shah had said that the Chief Minister was discussing the issue of restructuring or expanding the government.