KATHMANDU: “I am ashamed of being called a minister,” said Indra Prasad Dhungel, State Minister for Science and Technology.

Dhungel, who is frustrated with human resource crunch in his ministry, made the remark today.

He said that he has just fifteen staffs in his ministry to carry out the day to day chores.

The problems surfaced after the formerly unwieldy Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology was splitted into two - Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Science and Technology.

While the former took away a majority of staff members, the latter was left with a handful of employees.

“During the time of splitting in 2005, many important departments, including the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology and the Alternative Energy Promotion Center were retained by the Ministry of Environment,” said Dr.Ramhari Aryal, Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology.

“We’re now trying to get back those departments, which formerly belonged to us,” he told The Himalayan Times today.

Hardly had this scribe

sat for a talk with the minister when a person seeking job, interupted in.

“This is a routine thing here. I have to face job seekers every day,” he said.

Many departments and centres under the ministry are in disarray. For instance, in theory, the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) is under the ministry, but in practice, it is working independently and the Prime Minister is the Chancellor.

Similarly, B.P Koirala Memorial Planetarium, Observatory and Science Museum Development Board and High-level Commission on Information and Technology are under the ministry, but it is the PM who actually heads both the departments.

Dhungel, who had originally been appointed as a cabinet minister, has started absconding the cabinet meeting recently.

“I keep myself silent in cabinet meeting for I have nothing to deliver,” lamented Dhungel, who said his ministry has just about 10 rooms and 15 staff.