Key Takeways:

• Key officials reassigned across Bagmati ministries and agencies
• Umesh Dhakal and Rambabu Puri assigned to the Chief Minister's Office
• Province to seek federal grant for Rasuwa-Bhotekoshi reconstruction
• Cabinet recommends a new ward in Sindhupalchok's Balefi

HETAUDA, OCTOBER 2 The Bagmati provincial government has reshuffled the responsibilities of its secretaries, assigning officials to different ministries and administrative divisions following the merger of several provincial ministries. The Cabinet meeting held on Thursday decided to assign two secretaries to some ministries amid technical and functional complications arising from the ministry mergers. Provincial government spokesperson and Minister for Physical Infrastructure Development Bharat Bahadur KC said the meeting also approved the Organisation and Management (O&M) report for the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development and its subordinate offices. Under the Cabinet decision, provincial secretaries Umesh Dhakal and Rambabu Puri have been assigned to the Office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers. Dhakal will oversee the Governance Reform and Coordination Division, while Puri will be responsible for the Meeting and Administration Division. Secretary Mahesh Bhattarai has been assigned to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Law, Narayan Prasad Mainali to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Planning, Ishwar Chandra Marhattha to the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development, and Indradev Bhatt to the Ministry of Water Supply, Energy and Irrigation. Anita Niraula, who had been overseeing the labour and transport sectors at the Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Labour and Transport, has been transferred to the Provincial Public Service Commission. The Cabinet has also given Purna Bahadur Darji, who is serving at the Bagmati Provincial Assembly Secretariat, additional responsibility at the Provincial Policy and Planning Commission. Secretary Geeta Kumari Homegain, who had been handling the Youth and Sports portfolio under the Ministry of Health and Social Development, has been transferred to the Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Labour and Transport to oversee the industry, commerce and tourism sectors. Secretary Dipendra Subedi, who had been overseeing the tourism sector at the same ministry, has been assigned responsibility for the labour and transport sectors. Dr Sumitra Gautam has been assigned responsibility for the health sector under the Ministry of Health and Social Development, while Khubiram Adhikari will oversee its social development sector. Under the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Forest and Environment, Dr Kedar Baral has been assigned responsibility for the forest and environment sector, while Sudhir Shrestha will oversee agriculture and livestock. The Cabinet also decided to seek a Rs 1 billion grant from the federal government for reconstruction following the floods and landslides in Rasuwa and Bhotekoshi. Minister KC said the requested funds would be used to reconstruct physical infrastructure damaged by the disasters. In another decision, the provincial government agreed to forward to the federal government a proposal on the division and creation of wards in Sindhupalchok's Balefi Rural Municipality, based on a recommendation from the local government. Under the proposal, some areas of Balefi wards 4 and 5 would be combined to establish a new ward, with the provincial Cabinet recommending the arrangement to the federal government for approval. The Cabinet also approved temporary posts required for the upcoming fiscal year for temporary employees working regularly under the health and social development sector.