Cabinet seniority reshuffled on PM Shah’s recommendation

Kathmandu, April 7: President Ram Chandra Paudel has reshuffled the order of precedence of Council of Ministers members today, on the recommendation of Prime Minister Balendra Shah.

According to the Office of the President, Home Minister Sudan Gurung, who was earlier third in seniority, has been moved to fifth position. Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle retains the second position.

In the revised order, Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal has been placed third, while Minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha has moved up to fourth from sixth. Previously, Khanal was ranked fourth.

The Physical Infrastructure Minister, who was earlier fourth, has been shifted to sixth position.

Among other changes, Tourism Minister Khadga Raj Paudel has dropped from seventh to twelfth. Education Minister Sashmit Pokhrel has moved from eighth to eleventh, while Health Minister Nisha Mehta has been placed tenth from ninth. Communication Minister Dr. Bikram Timilsina has been moved from tenth to thirteenth.

Similarly, Federal Affairs Minister Pratibha Rawal has moved up from eleventh to ninth, and Law Minister Sobita Gautam from twelfth to seventh. Women Minister Sita Wadi has significantly moved up from fifteenth to eighth.

Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Gita Chaudhary has been placed fourteenth from thirteenth, and Labour Minister Dipak Sah has been moved to fifteenth from fourteenth