External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday congratulated Dr Bimala Rai Paudyal on his appointment as Nepal's new foreign minister.
"Congratulations Dr Bimala Rai Paudyal on your appointment as the Foreign Minister of Nepal. Look forward to working with you," tweeted Jaishankar.
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' on Tuesday expanded his Cabinet three weeks after he assumed office on December 25, reported Khabarhub.
With this, the government's strength has reached 22, including 19 ministers and three ministers of state.
Earlier, there were only eight members in the Cabinet, including the Prime Minister, three Deputy Prime Ministers and four ministers without portfolios, reported Khabarhub.
President Bidya Devi Bhandari administered the oath of office and secrecy to the new ministers along with Deputy Prime Minister Rajendra Lingden at the President's Office, Sheetal Niwas in Tuesday afternoon.
Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) Chairman Lingden took oath as Deputy PM and Minister of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation. Similarly, RPP's Dhruba Bahadur Pradhan administered the oath of office and secrecy as the Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs and Bikram Pandey as the Minister for Urban Development.
Similarly, UML leaders Dr Bimala Rai Paudyal took oath as Minister for Foreign Affairs, Padam Giri as the Minister for Health and Population.
From CPN (Maoist Center), Rekha Sharma was administered the oath as the Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Sudan Kiranti as Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Aman Lal Modi as Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration and Sushila Shreepali as Minister of State for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation.
In Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Shishir Khanal has taken oath as the Minister for Education, Dol Prasad Aryal as the Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security and Dr Tosima Karki as Minister for the State of Health.
( With inputs from ANI )
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