Congress President Thapa Pledges Only 16 Federal and 6 Provincial Ministries in Election Manifesto

Kathmandu — Nepali Congress President Gagan Kumar Thapa has announced plans to reduce the number of ministries in both federal and provincial governments as part of the party’s election pledge. Addressing the party’s “Our Pledge, Your Questions” programme in Kathmandu on Thursday, Thapa said that his party’s pledge document specifies a maximum of 16 ministries at the federal level and only 6 ministries in each province under a future Congress-led government.

He emphasized that under no circumstances should any party increase the number of ministries for the purpose of power sharing within a coalition. Thapa also described the period of Congress-led governments after 1990 as a “golden era,” asserting that the political and economic changes since then were the result of policies and models adopted by his party.

Reflecting on past political upheavals and popular uprisings, Thapa pledged to address the damage caused by natural disasters within the next five years. He also committed to raising Nepal’s per-capita income to USD 2,500 over the same period.

Thapa vowed that appointments to constitutional commissions would no longer be made on the basis of quota bargains, and he claimed the party would completely end corruption within five years if elected. He underlined that youth are not merely the leaders of the future but partners in the present, and pledged to create an environment in which they can fully exercise their constitutional rights.