KATHMANDU, Aug 26: Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli has convened a cabinet meeting through video conference on Monday.

The prime minister addressed the cabinet ministers through teleconference for an hour, according to cabinet sources.

PM Oli is currently in Singapore for medical treatment. A kidney patient, Oli underwent plasmapheresis at the National University Hospital on Friday.

According to Oli’s chief political advisor Bishnu Rimal, Oli’s health is normal and he should go under plasmapheresis treatment a couple of times to increase the function of his kidney and decrease creatinine level.

This is the first time a cabinet meeting was held through a video conference using advanced information technology.

The cabinet, before the PM left for Singapore, made necessary amendments to the Cabinet Meeting Regulation Operation paving way for the prime minister to hold the cabinet meeting through video conference.

KATHMANDU, June 11: A meeting of the cabinet endorsed a proposal of building two cross-border friendship bridges in Rasuwagadhi and Tatopani areas.

Both bridges were damaged by the deadly earthquake of April 2015. A temporary bridge has been built in Rasuwagadhi enabling cross-border movement of goods and people.

Rasuwagadhi borders China’s Kerung town and is currently main inland trade route between the two countries while Tatopani borders China’s Khasa town (Zhangmu). Tatopani-Zhangmu border has remained closed since the quake.

Minister of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Sher Bahadur Tamang said that the cabinet endorsed the proposal paving the way for the construction of the two bridges.

“The two bridges will be built under Chinese grant,” he said. “As designs of these two projects have already been prepared, the Chinese side can start construction of the bridges immediately.”

He said that these bridges, once built, would help increase trade between the two countries.

KATHMANDU, Aug 20: Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is inducting 21 state ministers to his cabinet.

10 state ministers will be added from Nepali Congress (NC), eight from CPN (Maoist Center) and three from Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar-led Nepal Democratic Forum.

Maoist Center has finalized the names of its leaders joining the Deuba led government. Meanwhile, State ministers from NC and Democratic Forum will be sworn-in before PM’s India visit, according to sources.

The being sworn-in state ministers and their portfolio (from Maoist Center)

Shyam Kumar Shrestha (Home Affairs),

Karna Bahadur BK (Supplies),

Wanji Shrepa (General Administration),

Shambhu Lal Shrestha (Health),

Jakir Hussein (Energy),

Goma Kunwar (Livestock Development),

Cham Bahadur Gurung (Urban Development) and

Rama Singh Yadav (Foreign Affairs).

The state ministers are scheduled to take oath of office and secrecy from the prime minister today.

KATHMANDU, July 26: Despite facing criticism for prolonged delay in expanding the cabinet, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has finally added 19 more ministers to the government incorporating leaders from four parties.

The newly appointed ministers took the oath of office and secrecy from President Bidya Devi Bhandari at Sital Niwal on Wednesday afternoon.

The 19 ministers include 10 ministers from Nepali Congress, six from CPN (Maoist Center), two from Nepal Loktantrik Forum and one from CPN (United).

From Nepali Congress Party, Bir Bahadur Balayar was sworn-in as the Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport, Yagya Badharu Thapa as the Minister of Law Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Sanjya Gautam as the Minister for Irrigation, Min Bishwokarma as the Minister for Commerce and Supplies, Ambika Basnet as the Minister for Cooperative and Poverty Alleviation, Bhimsen Das Pradhan as the Minister for Defense, Ram Krishna Yadav as the Minister for Agricultural Development, Rajan KC as the Minister for Youth and Sports and Mahendra Yadav as the Minister for Water Supply and Sanitation and Mohan Bahadur Basnet as the Minister for Information and Communications.

Likewise, from Maoist Center’s side, Girirajmani Pokhrel took oath as the Minister for Health, Mahendra Bahadur Shahi as the Minister for Energy, Aasha Koirala as the Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare, Santa Kumar Chaudhary as the Minister for Livestock Development, Tek Bahadur Basnet as the Minister for General Administration and Shiva Kumar Mandal as the Minster for Supplies.

Similarly, Nepal Loktantrik Forum’s Jitendra Narayan Dev and Gopal Dahit were sworn-in as the Minister for Culture, Tourism & Civil Aviation and the Minister for Land Reforms and Management respectively.

Also, CPN (United)’s Mithila Chaudhary took oath as the Minister for Science, Technology and Environment.

With the expansion, Deuba-led government has now 27 ministers including the prime minister and three deputy prime ministers.

Deuba, who was elected the Prime Minister by the Legislature-Parliament on June 6, had formed an eight-member Council of Ministers on June 7, the day of his swearing-in.

Nepal Loktantrik Forum chairman Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar had been included in the Council of Ministers as Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister for Federal Affairs and Local Development, Krishna Bahadur Mahara of the CPN (Maoist Centre) as the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Gopalman Shrestha of the Nepali Congress as the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Education, before this.

Similarly, Gyanendra Bahadfur Karki and Farmullah Mansoor of the Nepali Congress were appointed as the Finance Minister and the Minister for Labour and Employment respectively, Janardan Sharma and Prabhu Saha of the CPN (Maoist Centre) as the Minister for Home Affairs and the Minister for Urban Development respectively.

KATHMANDU, July 16: Women Lawmaker’s Coordination Committee has demanded that 33 per cent women’s representation be ensured in the cabinet.

Lawmaker Rekha Sharma told the Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS) that lawmakers associated with the Committee met with Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and made this demand. They also demanded an end to cases of violence against women (VAW).

In response, Prime Minister Deuba said that he has taken the demands positively and expressed commitment to take possible initiatives to address them.

Present on the occasion were lawmakers–Arzu Deuba, Sita Nepali, Kunti Shahi, Ishwori Neupane and Sita Gurung, among others. RSS