Kathmandu, October 9. Newly appointed ministers have taken oath of office and secrecy. President Bidya Devi Bhandari administered the oath of office and secrecy to them at a function organised at Sheetal Niwas on Friday.

Newly appointed Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration, Rajendra Prasad Shrestha; Minister for Health and Population, Birodh Khatiwada; Minister for Defense, Dr Minendra Rijal; Minister for Water Supplies, Umakanta Chaudhary; Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport, Renu Kumari Yadav;  Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Prem Bahadur Ale; Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Dilendra Prasad Badu; and Minister for Education, Science and technology, Devendra Poudel, took the oath of office and secrecy.

Similarly, President Bhandari administered the oath of office and secrecy to Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development, Mahendra Raya Yadav;  Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizen, Uma Regmi; Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation, Shashi Shrestha; Minister for Urban Development, Ram Kumari Jhankri; Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supply, Gajendra Bahadur Hamal; Minister for Forest and Environment, Ram Sahay Prasad Yadav; Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security, Krishna Kumar Shrestha; and Minister for Youth and Sports, Maheshwor Jung Gahatraj.  

Likewise, newly appointed ministers of state– Bhawani Prasad Khapung and Bodhmaya Kumari Yadav took the oath of office and secrecy before Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. 

 Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba expanded the cabinet today itself. 

Vice-President Nanda Bahadur Pun, Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota, National Assembly Chairperson Ganesh Prasad Timilsina, chiefs of constitutional bodies, Chief Secretary and Chief of Army Staffs, among others were present on the occasion. 

Chairperson of CPN (Maoist Centre), Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, Chairperson of CPN (Unified Socialist), Madhav Kumar Nepal, and Chairperson of Janata Samajbadi Party, Upendra Yadav, had also attended the programme. 

The newly expanded cabinet has got 11new faces. The government formed under the leadership of Nepali Congress President, Sher Bahadur Deuba, has been expanded for the fourth time. 

A total of nine ministers including one state minister from NC, six ministers including one state minister from CPN (Maoist Centre), five ministers including one state minister from CPN (Unified Socialist), and four ministers from Janata Samajbadi Party are in the cabinet. (RSS)