Karnali government dissolves Ministry of Internal Affairs

By Rajani Yogi,Surkhet, Nov. 18: The Karnali Province government has reduced the number of ministries, following a cabinet decision taken on Monday morning.

Speaking at a press conference the same day, government spokesperson and Minister for Land Management and Agricultural Cooperatives, Binod Shah, said that the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Law has been dissolved. Its functions will now be carried out by the Office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers.

Until now, Karnali Province had eight ministries: the Office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Law; the Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment; the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Urban Development; the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Planning; the Ministry of Land Management and Agriculture; and the Ministry of Social Development. With the merger, the number has been reduced to seven.

This is not the first time the number of ministries has been reshuffled. Previously, the Ministry of Water Resources and Energy Development had been merged with the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Urban Development. The provincial government has faced criticism for frequent changes that allegedly hinder administrative efficiency.

According to Shah, the latest adjustment aims to implement the decision of the Council of Ministers on organisational structure and staffing for the Office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers and the Karnali Provincial Training Academy. It also aligns with the recommendations of the Structural Reform Committee led by former Secretary Laxman Aryal.

As a result of the merger, 25 staff positions, including a minister and a provincial secretary, have been removed. There were previously 101 posts between the two ministries, only 76 will now be retained. The government estimates that the restructuring will streamline administrative functions and reduce annual operational expenses by approximately Rs. 30 million. The long-pending organisational structure of the Karnali Provincial Training Academy has also been approved, creating 14 new posts, including one for an executive director. The Office of the Chief Minister will now handle all duties previously performed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Law.

The cabinet meeting also approved the Karnali Expenditure Standard 2025, which revises current and administrative spending to ensure compliance with federal law and promote financial discipline. The Karnali Province Strategy for Ending Child Marriage 2025 was endorsed as well.

Likewise, Deputy Secretary Surendra Bahadur Shahi has been deputed as Executive Director of the Karnali Province Foundation for a maximum period of six months. In accordance with the Karnali Province Annual Programme and Appropriation Act, Rs. 4.8552 billion will be released to local levels for martyrs' memorial allowances and living allowances.