Newly elected PM Dahal takes Oath; First cabinet meeting decides to provide relief to flood and landslide victims

Kathmandu / Aug. 04: Newly elected Nepali Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ took the oath of office and secrecy from President Bidya Devi Bhandari at the Sheetal Niwas today.

The Parliament had elected the CPN Maoist Chairman Nepal’s 39th Prime Minister on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Dahal also formed a six-member Cabinet today.

Bimalendra Nidhi of Nepali Congress and Krishna Bahadur Mahara of CPN Maoist Centre have taken the oath as Deputy Prime Ministers of the Dahal Cabinet from the President. Ramesh Lekhak of Nepali Congress, Gauri Shankar Chaudhary (Tharu) and Daljit Shreepaili of the CPN Maoist Centre were also sworn as Ministers at the same function.

According to a statement issued by the President’s Office, Nidhi and Mahara will take the charges of Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Finance. Likewise, Lekhak, Chaudhary and Shreepaili have been given the portfolios of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, Agricultural Development and Youth and Sports respectively.

Vice-President Nanda Bahadur Pun, outgoing Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Chief Justice Sushila Karki, Speaker Onsari Gharti, former prime ministers, former ministers, leaders of political parties, chiefs and representatives of constitutional bodies, representatives of Kathmandu-based diplomatic missions and high level government officials were present at the oath ceremony.

Meanwhile, the first meeting of the cabinet has decided to provide Rs 100,000 compensation to victims of recent floods and landslides across the nation.

The Cabinet also assigned Mahara to work as the government spokesperson until appointment of the Minister for Information and Communications.