Congress Decides to Reduce Ministries in Bagmati Province from 14 to 7

March 30, Hetauda – The Nepali Congress, currently leading the government in Bagmati Province, has decided to limit the number of ministries from 14 to just seven. The decision was made during a meeting of the Congress parliamentary party in Bagmati Province on Tuesday, which agreed to establish only seven ministries aside from the Chief Minister’s office and the Council of Ministers.

The meeting, chaired by party leader and Chief Minister Indra Bahadur Baniya in Kathmandu, also resolved to consolidate the existing seven directorates into two and to abolish five directorates entirely.

Furthermore, a draft proposal suggesting a reduction of 701 staff positions in the provincial government has been prepared and submitted for approval after consultation among coalition partners. Currently, Bagmati Province is governed by a coalition of the Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) (CPN-UML). The CPN-UML had previously proposed the reduction of the number of ministries during their party meetings.

On February 10, a provincial administrative restructuring review committee submitted a report to the government recommending that only eight ministries, including the Chief Minister’s office, are necessary. This committee was headed by former government secretary Bimal Wagley, with members Reshmi Raj Pandey, Gopikrishna Khanal, Jeevprabha Lama, and provincial secretary Purna Bahadur Darji serving as member secretary.

The expert panel advised that directorates, boards, and similar structures are unnecessary and proposed cutting 701 staff posts from the provincial government. The committee recommended maintaining the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers’ office along with the Ministries of Finance and Planning; Industry, Culture, Tourism and Transportation; Agriculture, Livestock, Land Management and Cooperatives; Physical Infrastructure Development; Forest and Environment; Urban and Local Development; and Health and Social Development.

Presently, Bagmati Province’s government consists of 14 ministries including: the Chief Minister’s Office; Internal Affairs and Law; Finance and Planning; Agriculture and Livestock; Drinking Water, Energy and Irrigation; Physical Infrastructure; Forest and Environment; Labor, Employment and Transportation; Industry, Commerce, Land and Administration; Culture, Tourism, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation; Social Development; Health; and Youth and Sports.

Additionally, the Congress parliamentary party decided to urge the provincial government to convene a provincial assembly meeting within a week and resolved to stake their claim to the position of Speaker of the Bagmati Provincial Assembly.