New govt may have only 15 ministries

Kathmandu December 15

The new government will be merging ministries to comply with the constitutional provision that states that the number of ministers should not exceed 25 in the Cabinet.

Sources in the left alliance said the new government might have only 15 ministries at the centre as recommended by the parliamentary state committee and the High Level Administration Restructuring Committee. HLARC has also suggested that provincial governments should have only seven ministries.

Sher Bahadur Deuba-led Cabinet has 64 ministers, including ministers of state and assistant ministers, and 30 ministries.

According to Prime Minister Deuba’s Press Coordinator Govinda Pariyar, the incumbent government had formed a committee under Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Kamal Thapa to suggest the number of ministries but the committee had done nothing. Pariyar said the new government would have to downsize the ministries.

Former minister of general administration Tek Bahadur Basnet had submitted a report suggesting having 15 ministries as recommended by the Administration Restructuring Committee when Pushpa Kamal Dahal was the prime minister.

According to the constitution, provincial Cabinet should not have more than 20 per cent of the total number of provincial assembly members.

Proposed for provinces

  • Office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers

  • Ministry of Economic Development

  • Ministry of Agriculture, Cooperative and Land Management

  • Ministry of Home Affairs

  • Ministry of Infrastructure Development

  • Ministry of Forests, Science and Environment

  • Ministry of Education, Health and Social Development

Proposed for centre

  • Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers

  • Ministry of Finance and Planning

  • Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Supply and Labour

  • Ministry of Legal, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs

  • Ministry of Agriculture, Cooperatives and Land Management

  • Ministry of Home Affairs

  • Ministry of Water Resource and Energy

  • Ministry of Foreign Affairs

  • Ministry of Forests, Science and Environment

  • Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transportation

  • Ministry of Women, Social Justice and Federal Affairs

  • Ministry of Defence

  • Ministry of Education and Communications

  • Ministry for Culture, Tourism, Civil Aviation and Sports

  • Ministry for Health and Population