Bollywood actress Manisha Koirala's father Prakash Koirala, who was expelled from the Nepali Congress party for openly supporting the royal takeover, has been made a minister after his induction into the Cabinet by King Gyanendra.
Besides Koirala, who has been appointed as Environment and Science and Technology Minister, 11 new members were inducted into the Cabinet.
They include Nepal Sadbhavana Party (Mandal) president Badri Prasad Mandal, who has been appointed as agriculture minister, Salim Miya Ansari, who has been appointed as minister for forest and soil conservation and Niranjan Thapa who has been appointed as law and justice minister.
The appointments announced by the royal palace were the king's third overhaul of his Cabinet since he seized absolute power in February, ousting a previous government and imposing tight controls on dissidence.
The new ministers and junior ministers announced are all known supporters of the king. With this expansion, the strength of the Nepal Cabinet has increased to 24.
However, Vice-Chairmen of the Council of Ministers Tulsi Giri and Kirtinidhi Bista, Home Minister Dan Bahadur Shahi, Finance Minister Madhukar Shumsher Rana and Foreign Minister Ramesh Nath Pandey have retained their earlier portfolios, the National News Agency reported.
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