Lumbini Province: new CM, ministers take oath

Newly appointed Chief Minister in the Lumbini province government, Jokh Bahadur Mahara, took an oath of office and secrecy today. He took the oath, in accordance with Article 172 of the constitution, before Province Chief Amik Sherchan at a ceremony held at the Butwal-based Office of the Province Chief. Mahara was appointed to the post by the Province Chief as per Article 168(2) of the constitution. He is the fifth Chief Minister in the Lumbini Province. The post of Chief Minister here became vacant with the resignation of Dilli Bahadur Chaudhary from the post on April 4. The following day on April 5, Mahara presented his claim for the Chief Minister with the support of 48 PA members: 47 from five political parties and one independent. Mahara who is also serving as the standing committee member of the CPN (Maoist Centre) was born on October 18, 1963, in Sunil Smriti rural municipality-5 in Rolpa to Ramita Mahara (mother) and Khal Bahadur Mahara (father). He represents the Rolpa constituency-1(A) in the Lumbini PA. He was the Minister for Economic Affairs in last year's government led by UML's parliamentary leader for the province, Lila Giri. Meanwhile, the Chief Minister constituted a mini Council of Ministers today itself by inducting CPN (UML)'s Chet Narayan Acharya, CPN (Maoist Centre)'s Dipendra Bahadur Pun, and Janata Samajbadi Party's Bhandari Lal Ahir as ministers without portfolio. The newly appointed minister took the oath today. Source: National News Agency RSS