KATHMANDU, July 15: The Nepali Congress (NC) has withdrawn from the CPN-UML-led Karnali Province government after its ministers resigned en masse on Wednesday, protesting Chief Minister Yamlal Kandel’s move to abolish several provincial offices.
The NC ministers handed in their resignations shortly before the Cabinet meeting, objecting to the government’s proposal to scrap various directorates and training centers, including the Directorate of Agriculture Development, Directorate of Livestock Development and Agriculture Training Center.
Karnali Province: Three CPN-UML ministers resign en masse
The decision to quit came after the Kandel-led government pushed ahead with plans to restructure provincial institutions, which the NC ministers argued would undermine key service delivery mechanisms.
The NC had four ministers in the Karnali Cabinet: Rajiv Bikram Shah, who headed the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Planning; Ghanshyam Bhandari, Minister for Social Development; Suresh Adhikari, Minister for Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment; and Bijaya Budha, Minister for Water Resources and Energy Development.
Meanwhile, the provincial Cabinet went ahead with the restructuring plan, deciding to rename and abolish some directorates and training centers and transfer their responsibilities to the Provincial Training Academy. The Cabinet also appointed Provincial Secretary Laxmi Kumar BK as the academy’s executive director.
