Deukhuri, Feb 7 : 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. (RSS)