New Delhi: Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has been given temporary charge of the Ministry of Finance and Corporate Affairs as Arun Jaitley has undergone a surgery in the US and has been advised two weeks rest. Hence Jaitley will not be able to present the interim budget before the Lok Sabha elections which may be conducted in May.
Last year too, Goyal had filled in for Jaitley for three months when the Finance Minister had gone to the US for kidney transplant. Speculation has been rife since Jaitley left for the US a few days back as to whether he would be able to place the budget February 1. It looks like that is not going to happen. The Parliament will meet from January 31 to February 13 for the budget.
A communique from the Rashtrapati Bhavan said: “The President of India, as advised by the Prime Minister, hereby directed that during the period of indisposition of Shri Arun Jaitley, Minister; the portfolios of Minister of Finance and Minister of Corporate Affairs held by him, be temporarily assigned to Shri Piyush Goyal, in addition to his existing portfolios.”
Agencies