Delay in Cabinet expansion leaves many ministries without political leadership

KATHMANDU: Nearly a month after assuming office, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is yet to give full shape to his Cabinet. As a result many ministries are without political leadership. On top of that, not only a post of minister, but a post of secretary has also been lying vacant in one ministry.

The posts of minister and secretary at the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation, headed by Prime Minister Deuba, have been lying vacant.

Similarly, the posts of revenue secretary and administration secretary have been lying vacant in Ministry of Finance and Health respectively.

Revenue Secretary at the Ministry of Finance Ram Sharan Pudasaini took mandatory retirement on July 7 while administration secretary at the Ministry of Health and Population Laxman Aryal has been transferred to Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers on August 1.

Meanwhile, a Cabinet meeting held on July 9 transferred 12 secretaries including the secretary of Ministry of Land, Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation.

The post of secretary has been lying vacant at the Ministry of Land, Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation after the government transferred Tek Narayan Pandey to the Ministry of Home Affairs. The Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, however, has been keeping two secretaries with it.

Joint Secretary Janak Raj Joshi has been taking the responsibility of administrative works at the Ministry of Land, Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation at present. Joshi said that the policy-making process been hindered due to lack of secretary.

According to Joshi, the process to make policy, rules, procedures, directives and plans for the implementation of the budget and programs for the current fiscal year have also been hit hard.

The Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers has been saying that it cannot do anything as it was the responsibility of the Cabinet to fill the vacant posts.

Joint Secretary Krishna Bahadur Rawat who heads the Infrastructure Development Division at the Ministry of Land, Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation said that the Cabinet will fill the vacant post at the Ministry soon.