Kathmandu, July 30

The government today decided to form a talks team for the first meeting for the revision of Nepal-India Trade Treaty signed in 2009.

The eight-member team, which will be led by Commerce Ministry Joint-secretary Ravi Shanker Sainju, will be given the authority to sign agreements on matters agreed keeping in mind national interest, according to Minister for Communications and Information Technology Gokul Baskota.

A meeting of the Cabinet held at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers at Singha Durbar also approved the organisational structures of the newly-formed Agriculture and Livestock Development Ministry and Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation Ministry. For now, Minister Chakrapani Khanal will head both the ministries.

The Cabinet also decided to present bills related to Pension Fund and amendment to Nepal Act in the Federal Parliament. Also, 17 other bills will be forwarded to various committees of the council of ministers for discussions. The government also decided to promote Gandaki Province Acting Chief Secretary Narayan Prasad Bidari, and transfer OPMCM Secretary Buddhi Bahadur Khadka to the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens.

While Province 1 Chief Secretary Suresh Pradhan has been made Financial Comptroller General, incumbent Financial Comptroller General Ram Kumar Acharya has been transferred to the OPMCM.