KATHMANDU: Chief Minister Jokh Bahadur Mahara has announced the expansion of the Cabinet in Lumbini Province.

CM Mahara took this step following an agreement reached between the members of the ruling alliance on Thursday morning.

According to the agreement, CPN-UML will secure five ministerial portfolios, CPN (Maoist Center) will receive two, while Nagarik Unmukti Party, Janata Samajbadi Party, and an independent lawmaker will be granted one ministerial position each.

Chet Narayan Acharya of CPN (UML) has been appointed Minister for Economic Affairs and Planning, Dipendra Pun of CPN (Maoist Center) as Health Minister, and Bandari Lal as Minister of Agriculture.

The remaining ministers—Dinesh Panti, Khadka Basnet, Dharma Bahadur Chaudhary, Arjun Kumar KC, Bhumiswor Dhakal, and Ratan Bahadur Khatri—are yet to be assigned their ministerial portfolios.

These newly appointed ministers are scheduled to be sworn in at 5 PM this evening.