Kathmandu, Apr 11:
Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah expanded his Cabinet on Friday by appointing two new ministers to fill previously vacant portfolios. According to the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, lawmaker Ramji Yadav has been named Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security, while lawmaker Gauri Kumari Yadav has been appointed Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies.
The Labour Ministry had been vacant following the dismissal of former minister Dipak Kumar Sah, who was removed amid controversy over the appointment of his wife to the Health Insurance Board. The Industry Ministry had previously been directly handled by the Prime Minister himself.
Both newly appointed ministers are members of the Rastriya Swatantra Party and were elected in recent parliamentary elections. They are yet to be sworn in by President Ram Chandra Poudel.
With these changes, Shah’s Cabinet now has 16 members, which is smaller compared to previous governments. Shah formed the government on March 27 after his party emerged as the largest force in the House of Representatives, securing a strong mandate.
Since taking office, the Shah-led administration has focused on governance reforms and anti-corruption measures. It has launched investigations into several former prime ministers, including K P Sharma Oli, Sher Bahadur Deuba, and Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, along with associated businessmen, over alleged money laundering. These actions have drawn public attention and support from sections of the electorate, positioning the government as reform-oriented.