Newly appointed ministers Khanal, Ghising, Aryal sworn in

KATHMANDU: President Ramchandra Paudel administered the oath of office and secrecy to three newly appointed ministers at the President’s Office in Shital Niwas, Kathmandu, today.

They were appointed on Sunday evening on the recommendation of Interim Government Prime Minister Sushila Karki.

Rameshore Prasad Khanal has been given responsibility for finance; Kul Man Ghising for energy, water resources and irrigation, physical infrastructure and transport, and urban development; and Om Prakash Aryal for home affairs, law, justice and parliamentary affairs. Prime Minister Karki continues to oversee the remaining ministries.

Khanal is a former finance secretary of the Government of Nepal and has worked in the fields of economic reform and good governance. Ghising, former executive director of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), has raised citizens’ voices since leaving his post at the NEA. Aryal, an advocate, came to prominence after filing an appeal over the ineligibility of Lokman Singh Karki, the then chief commissioner of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA).

The newly appointed ministers will take office at Singha Durbar today.

Vice President Ram sahaya Prasad Yadav; Prime Minister Karki; Chief Justice Prakash Man Singh Raut; National Assembly Chairman Narayan Prasad Dahal; former Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai; heads and officials of constitutional bodies; senior officials of the Government of Nepal; and security agency chiefs attended the oath-taking ceremony.

Amid protests and unrest created by Gen Z, President Paudel appointed former Chief Justice Karki as Prime Minister of the interim government on September 12.

(with inputs from RSS)