As the incumbent government under Sher Bahadur Deuba is preparing to handover the mantle to the left alliance, Minister for Forests and Soil Conservation Bikram Pandey has drafted in two members to the Chure Tarai Madhes Conservation Development Committee.

A Cabinet meeting  on Monday endorsed the names of former secretary at the Forest Ministry Baburam Bhandari and Rekha Sharma as members on the board. The position, which has a tenure of five years, carries power and position on par with an assistant minister.

According to a source, Sharma is the daughter of Minister of State for Forest and Soil Conservation Kamala Devi Sharma and Bhandari is a native of Bharatpur, the hometown of Forest Minister Pandey.

Earlier, Pandey’s predecessor at the ministry Agni Prasad Sapkota had appointed Bidur Bharati, Dipa Pradhan and Ram Dayal Yadav as members of the board.