INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
KATHMANDU, JANUARY 22Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal will decide on the ministry to be given to Janamat Party only
PM Dahal to seek vote of confidence on January 10
PM Dahal to make 'directive statement' tomorrow
PM Dahal was supposed to finalise the Ministry of Water Supply today
Following the Janamat Party's dissatisfaction with it, the ministry will be finalised only tomorrow.
Minister of Water
Supply Abdul Khan, who is also the spokesperson of Janamat Party, said discussion on the ministry would be finalised only tomorrow
"Since today is a holiday, there is not much discussion on it, so it is said the ministry will be finalised tomorrow."Minister of Industry,
Commerce, and Supplies Damodar Bhandari from the CPN-UML and Abdul Khan from the Janamat Party are prepared to reshuffle the
ministries.Minister Bhandari said there could be a discussion between PM Dahal and Janamat Party Chairman CK Raut, but the matter was not
finalised.He said discussion would be held between leaders of the ruling party in Baluwatar today.As the CK Raut-led Janamat Party did not
get the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Abdul Khan, who became a minister from that party, has not yet assumed office.According
to the division of work among ministers, he did not go to Singha Durbar to take charge as he was dissatisfied with the Ministry of Water
Supply.Instead, Chair CK Raut warned that he would leave the government if he did not get the industry ministry
In this regard, Raut, who has been given time till today by PM Dahal, is waiting for the government's reply.Janamat Party Vice-president
Deepak Sah said his first choice was the industry ministry.Informing that efforts were being made to that end, Sah said, "If it does not
happen, other options will be discussed."Janamat Party has demanded that if they are not given the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and
Supplies, they should get the Ministry of Forest and Environment along with the Ministry of Water Supply.Raut has assured that the
discussion will be completed by today during continuous discussions with the prime minister
According to Sah, when talking to the Maoist Centre and UML about joining the government, it was agreed that the Ministry of Industry,
Commerce and Supplies would be given to the Janamat Party.He said, "We had demanded two ministries - the Ministry of Industry and the
But after only one ministry was included in the division, there was agreement that the industry ministry should be given to Janamat Party
Now that we have got the Ministry of Water Supply instead of the Industry Ministry, we have condemned it."With the agreement to give the
Ministry of Industry to the Janamat Party, it had made preparations to make a blueprint on how to run the Ministry.The party had already
started homework on who was to be designated as experts and department heads.Even the leaders of the party had started monitoring the
industries which are currently in operation as well as those that were closed with the involvement of experts
The party did not get the ministry while preparations were already under way, leaving its leaders infuriated, it is said."During the
election, we made various promises to the people which will be completed after joining the government,"Vice-president Sah said, "That's why,
we have been asking for the Ministry of Agriculture and Industry
As we did not get any of these ministries, we believe that the ruling party has betrayed us.'' Janamat Party had planned to operate various
industries that had been closed in the first phase after getting the Ministry of Industry
Sah complained that even though they had studied from every angle for that, the plan had not been implemented so far.It is said that the
plan to operate Biratnagar Jute Mill within 6 months, and cigarette factory and Birgunj Sugar Factory within a year has been made by the
Janamat Party.Vice-president Sah said Janamat Party's plan was to bring raw materials for those industries from India in the first year and
then produce them in Nepal.There was also a plan to connect with the farmers for production of raw materials."A blueprint has been made to
provide employment to 200,000-300,000 youths," he said.The Janamat Party had promised to provide employment to 1 million youths during
It had also prepared to bring these industries into operation and lease them to the private sector for at least 35 years.A version of this
article appears in the print on January 23, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
This article first appeared/also appeared in https://thehimalayantimes.com