KATHMANDU, JANUARY 22

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal will decide on the ministry to be given to Janamat Party only tomorrow.

PM Dahal was supposed to finalise the Ministry of Water Supply today. Following the Janamat Party's dissatisfaction with it, the ministry will be finalised only tomorrow.

Minister of Water Supply Abdul Khan, who is also the spokesperson of Janamat Party, said discussion on the ministry would be finalised only tomorrow. 'Since today is a holiday, there is not much discussion on it, so it is said the ministry will be finalised tomorrow.'

Minister of Industry, Commerce, and Supplies Damodar Bhandari from the CPN-UML and Abdul Khan from the Janamat Party are prepared to reshuffle the ministries.

Minister Bhandari said there could be a discussion between PM Dahal and Janamat Party Chairman CK Raut, but the matter was not finalised.

He said discussion would be held between leaders of the ruling party in Baluwatar today.

As the CK Raut-led Janamat Party did not get the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Abdul Khan, who became a minister from that party, has not yet assumed office.

According to the division of work among ministers, he did not go to Singha Durbar to take charge as he was dissatisfied with the Ministry of Water Supply.

Instead, Chair CK Raut warned that he would leave the government if he did not get the industry ministry. In this regard, Raut, who has been given time till today by PM Dahal, is waiting for the government's reply.

Janamat Party Vice-president Deepak Sah said his first choice was the industry ministry.

Informing that efforts were being made to that end, Sah said, 'If it does not happen, other options will be discussed.'

Janamat Party has demanded that if they are not given the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, they should get the Ministry of Forest and Environment along with the Ministry of Water Supply.

Raut has assured that the discussion will be completed by today during continuous discussions with the prime minister. According to Sah, when talking to the Maoist Centre and UML about joining the government, it was agreed that the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies would be given to the Janamat Party.

He said, 'We had demanded two ministries - the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Agriculture. But after only one ministry was included in the division, there was agreement that the industry ministry should be given to Janamat Party. Now that we have got the Ministry of Water Supply instead of the Industry Ministry, we have condemned it.'

With the agreement to give the Ministry of Industry to the Janamat Party, it had made preparations to make a blueprint on how to run the Ministry.

The party had already started homework on who was to be designated as experts and department heads.

Even the leaders of the party had started monitoring the industries which are currently in operation as well as those that were closed with the involvement of experts. The party did not get the ministry while preparations were already under way, leaving its leaders infuriated, it is said.

'During the election, we made various promises to the people which will be completed after joining the government,'

Vice-president Sah said, 'That's why, we have been asking for the Ministry of Agriculture and Industry. As we did not get any of these ministries, we believe that the ruling party has betrayed us.'' Janamat Party had planned to operate various industries that had been closed in the first phase after getting the Ministry of Industry. Sah complained that even though they had studied from every angle for that, the plan had not been implemented so far.

It is said that the plan to operate Biratnagar Jute Mill within 6 months, and cigarette factory and Birgunj Sugar Factory within a year has been made by the Janamat Party.

Vice-president Sah said Janamat Party's plan was to bring raw materials for those industries from India in the first year and then produce them in Nepal.

There was also a plan to connect with the farmers for production of raw materials.

'A blueprint has been made to provide employment to 200,000-300,000 youths,' he said.

The Janamat Party had promised to provide employment to 1 million youths during elections. It had also prepared to bring these industries into operation and lease them to the private sector for at least 35 years.

A version of this article appears in the print on January 23, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.