KATHMANDU: Suggestions have been made for keeping only 15 ministries in the centre in line with the federal structure. It has been proposed to reduce the number of ministries from 31 at present to 15.

Spokesperson at the Ministry of General Administration, Shiva Hari Neupane said, “There will be 15 ministries of the federal government after adjusting the existing ministries as per the federal setup of the country.”

The number of ministries would be reduced by half the existing number with the high-powered Federal Administrative Restructuring Committee, chaired by the Minister for General Administration Tek Bahadur Basnet, preparing its draft report proposing 15 ministries in the centre and seven in the province level.

Spokesperson Neupane said although the original draft report of the committee had proposed having 18 ministries in the centre, the number was decreased to 15 as per the directives of the State Affairs Committee.

According to Neupane, it has proposed to have the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, the Ministry of Finance and Planning, the Ministry of Forest, Science and Environment, the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, the Ministry of Agriculture, Cooperatives and Land Management, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Water Resources and Energy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Education and Communications, the Ministry of Women and Social Justice, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Sports, and the Ministry of Health and Population.

Similarly, the ministries proposed in the province level include the Province Council of Ministers and Chief Minister Office, the Province Home Affairs, the Province Finance, the Province Infrastructure Development, the Province Agriculture and Land Management, the Province Forest, Science and Environment, and the Province Education Health and Social Development.

Neupane said the draft report of the committee would be tabled in the meeting of the Council of Ministers.

Likewise, the committee has fixed the temporary capitals of the provinces on the basis of the availability of the physical infrastructures, historical importance, security condition and the criteria required for geographical centre.

Accordingly, Biratnagar, Dhankuta or Itahari were being considered as the capital of Province 1; Janakpur of Province 2; Banepa, Dhulikhel, Kathmandu or Hetauda of Province 3; Pokhara of Province 4; Dang or Butwal of Province 5; Surkhet of Province 6; and Dipayal or Dhangadhi of Province 7.

These capitals would be provisional and the Province Assembly of the respective provinces will decide on their permanent capital, it is stated.