Nepali King Gyanendra on Monday appointed 28 new ministers at the recommendation of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, according to a statement issued by the Royal Palace Press Secretariat.

There are 19 cabinet ministers, eight minister of state and four assistant ministers in the new Council of Ministers, including Prime Minister Deuba and two other cabinet ministers who were appointed on June 10.

Deuba has also taken the portfolio of royal palace affairs, defense and foreign ministry, while Bharat Mohan Adhikari, the Communist Party Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) standing committee member and former finance minister, was named as deputy prime minister and finance minister.

The Nepali Congress (Democratic) party led by Deuba has taken charge of the portfolio of home, defense, foreign affairs, education and sports, physical planning, culture, tourism and civil aviation, agriculture and cooperatives, law, justice and parliamentary affairs.

The CPN-UML looks after the ministries of finance, health, industry, commerce and supplies, local development, labor and transport management, population and environment, women, children and social welfare.

The Rastriya Prajatantra Party has got the portfolio of water resources, science and technology and land reforms and management while Nepal Sadbhavana Party has got the ministry of forest and soil conservation.

While Badri Prasad Mandal, president of the Nepal Sadbhavana Party, was appointed as minister for forest and soil conservation.

There are three women ministers in the new government.

Deuba formed the new Council of Ministers after one month of his appointment to the post of Nepali prime minister.

Source: Xinhua