Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has expanded the Cabinet, inducting on Sunday eight state ministers from the CPN (Maoist Centre).

With the swearing-in, the size of the Cabinet has reached 31-member with three deputy prime ministers, 19 ministers and eight state ministers.

PM Deuba administrated the oath of office to the state ministers at the Prime Minister’s Office.

According to Nepali Congress leader Bimalendra Nidhi, 10 state ministers will be inducted from the NC, and three from the Bijay Kumar Gachhadar-led Nepal Loktantrik Forum.

Deuba is preparing to induct more state ministers before embarking on a visit to India on Wednesday.

This is the third expansion of the Cabinet. The new state ministers are Mohammad Jakir Hussein (Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare), Ram Singh Yadav (Ministry of Health), Shyam Kumar Shrestha (Home Ministry), Shambhu Lal Shrestha (Ministry of Energy), Karna Bahadur BK (Ministry of Supplies), Chham Bahadur Gurung (Ministry of Urban Development), Goma Kunwar (Ministry of Livestock Development) and Ongdi Sherpa (Ministry of General Administration).