Cabinet expansion in Lumbini province today

Kathmandu: The council of ministers in Lumbini province is being expanded on Monday.

Chief minister Dilli Bahadur Chaudhary is set to expand the cabinet today by inducting one minister from Nepali Congress, JSP and Janajat Party each.

As per the source privy to the chief minister, Raju Khanal of Dang, Bhandari Lal Ahir of Banke and Chandrakesh Gupta of Rupandehi are likely to be sworn in as the new ministers.

Khanal was elected from Dang constituency no 2 (1) as Nepali Congress candidate while Ahir of Janata Samajbadi Party and Gupta of Janamat Party were elected from Banke constituency no 2 (1) and Rupandehi 5 (2) respectively.

Dhan Bahadur Maski from CPN (Maoist Centre) was appointed as finance minister of the province after chief minister formed four-member cabinet on April 28. While Santosh Kumar Pandey from Loktantrik Samajbadi Party and Dharma Bahadur Chaudhary of Nagarik Unmukti Party were sworn in as ministers without portfolios.

The chief minister will appoint additional ministers and ministerial responsibility will be given to the ministers without portfolios.