SURKHET: Minister for Forests and Environment, Shakti Bahadur Basnet has said that it is the Prime Minister’s prerogative to make changes in the Council of Ministers.

Addressing the press meet organized by the Press Organization Surkhet at Surkhet Airport today, he reiterated that it is the Prime Minister’s right as to what sort of Council of Ministers to make and reshuffle it.

“Cabinet reshuffle is up to the Prime Minister, it is for his convenience. He can make changes to the Council of Ministers,” Minister Basnet said, adding that Cabinet reshuffling by the PM is not a new thing and this topic has not been talked about as it has been made to be in the media.

The Minister for Forests and Environment said that the Karnali province would be brought into the national development mainstream.

Stating that the role of all would be necessary for the development of Karnali, he said this year would be the ‘year of economic and social development’. The Minister believed that development would take a pace on all sides now as economic development and infrastructure construction was the government’s first priority.

“The construction of the regional airport in Surkhet, the province capital, would not be stalled due to the unavailability of land for the purpose. The works would be started soon,” he said.

He added that the government has forwarded the process of resolving the problem of the flood-affected people and it would be addressed soon.