Council of Ministers expanded: Adhikari gets Home Ministry, Thapa gets CIT Ministry

President Bidya Devi Bhandari has, on the recommendation of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, expanded and given full shape to the existing Council of Ministers.

Eight more individuals, including CPN (UML) and Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) leaders, have been inducted into the Council of Ministers as Ministers and Minister of State. With this, the Council of Ministers has 25 members.

This is the second time that the Council of Ministers has been expanded following the dissolution of the House of Representatives on May 22.

The newly-appointed Ministers will take an oath of office and secrecy today only.

In the expanded Council of Ministers, Prime Minister Oli has kept the Defence Ministry portfolio with himself while Khagaraj Adhikari has been given the Home Affairs Ministry,  Raj Kishor Yadav has the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Nainakala Thapa has the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Jwala Kumari Saha has been given the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Narad Muni Rana has the Ministry of Forests and Environment and Ganesh Kumar Pahadi has been given the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration.

Similarly, Mohan Baniya has been appointed as the Minister looking after the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers and Asha Kumari BK is the Minister of State for Forests and Environment.