KATHMANDU: His Majesty King Gyanendra has reconstituted the cabinet under his chairmanship as per the Article 127 of the Kingdom of Nepal 1990.

His Majesty constituted a 35 member cabinet including two vice-chairmen, 12 ministers, 7 state ministers and 14 assistant ministers.

His Majesty has included 18 new faces in the government while removing some ministers appointed after the February 1 royal takeover.

There are two vice-chairmen Dr. Tulsi Giri and Kirti Nidhi Bista in the new cabinet as well.

Badri Prasad Mandal has been handed the General Administration portfolio while Keshar Bahadur Bista has been given the portfolio of Agriculture and Co-operatives.

Kamal Thapa has been assigned the Home Ministry’s portfolio, Buddhiman Tamang Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies.

Narayan Singh Pun has been handed the Land Reform and Management portfolio while Tanka Dhakal, the present Information and Communications Minister has been handed the Local Development Ministry. Niranjan Thapa remains the Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary affairs.

HM the King removed some controversial ministers from the cabinet. Those excluded from the Cabinet include Home Minister Dan Bahadur Shahi, Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare Durga Shrestha and Finance Minister Madhukar Shumser Rana.

Rastriya Prajatantra Party, the third largest party in the dissolved House of Representatives received key portfolios in the new cabinet, while Chairman of recently formed Prajatantrik Nepal Party and Nepal Samata party also got a place as full ministers in the new cabinet. Buddhi Raj Bajracharya, present minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation has been shifted as minister without portfolio.

However, there was no representation from opposition alliance of seven political parties. The reshuffle came at a time when the King is facing pressure from international communities to find consensus with the political parties to resolve the problem dogging the country.

Comment from opposition seven political parties was not immediately available.

Chairman             King Gyanendra

Vice Chairmen   Portfolios Dr Tulsi Giri

Minister for Water Resources Kirtinidhi Bista

Ministers Badri Prasad Mandal, General Administration

Keshar Bahadur Bista, Agriculture and Cooperatives

Ramesh Nath Pandey, Foreign Affairs

Radha Krishna Mainali, Education and Sports

Kamal Thapa, Home

Buddiman Tamang, Industry, Commerce and Supply

Salim Miya Ansari, Forest and Soil Conservation

Prakash Koirala, Environment and Science and Technology

Narayan Singh Pun, Land Reform and Management

Buddhi Raj Bajracharya, Without Portfolio

Tanka Dhakal, Local Development

Niranjan Thapa, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs

State Ministers:

Rabindra Khanal               Labour and Transport Management

Dr Roop Jyoti, Finance

Yankila Sherpa   Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation

Mani Lama, Health and Population

Brajesh Kumar Gupta, Physical Planning and Works

Dr Durga Pokharel, Women, Children and Social Welfare

Shreesh Shumsher Rana, Information and Communications

Asst. Ministers

Hari Shankar Pariyar, Forest and Soil Conservation

Binod Kumar Shah, Water Resources

Chhaka Bahadur Lama, Physical Planning and Works

Golchhe Sarki, Women, Children and Social Welfare

Nikshya Shumsher Rana, Health and Population

Govind Chaudhary, Agriculture and Cooperative

Yagna Bahadur Budathoki, Land Reform and Management

Toran Bahaduur Gurung                General Administration

Roshan Karki, Local Development

Bhuwan Pathak Education and Sports

Rajesh Kaji Shrestha        Industry, Commerce and Supply

Tek Narayan Rajbanshi  Labour and Transport Management

Pratap Ram Lohar            Environment and Science and Technology

Sonelal Yadav, Home