The Supreme Court had issued an interim order on June 22 asking the government of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli not to implement the decision to reshuffle the Council of Ministers. Along with this order, 20 ministers in PM Oli’s Cabinet have lost their positions.
Along with this interim order, the Cabinet now comprises only five ministers including Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. As a result, President Bidhya Devi Bhandari has assigned certain ministries to the existing ministers until further arrangements are in place.
President Bhandari has assigned the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Foreign Affairs to PM Oli. Similarly, Bishnu Prasad Poudel will be handling the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, and Ministry of Home Affairs.
Meanwhile, Krishna Gopal Shrestha has been assigned the responsibility of Ministry of Forests and Environment, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security and Ministry of Health and Population.
The president has assigned Basant Kumar Nembang the responsibility of Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Ministry of Water Supply, Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, and Ministry of Urban Development.
Similarly, Lilanath Shrestha will be handling Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation, Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare, Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, and Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration.