Just a week ahead of the February 1 interim budget presentation, Centre has appointed Piyush Goyal as the interim Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs.
The appointment in made as response to Arun Jaitley’s ongoing surgery in the United States. Reportedly, Jaitley has been advised two weeks rest.
Goyal will therefore present the interim budget on account in an election year.
Currently, Goyal the minister for railways and coal will also be interim minister for corporate affairs, said the Centre. Jaitley will remain a minister without portfolio.
“The President of India, as advised by the prime minister, hereby directed that during the period of indisposition of 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 addiaddition to his existing portfolios,” said Rashtrapati Bhavan, in its official communiqué.
As quoted by PTI, Jaitley had left for the US on January 13, has undergone tests for soft tissue cancer.
In his previous stint as interim finance minister, Goyal had announced
Project Sashakt, a strategy to combat the bad loan burden of the Oublic Sector Banks.
“The larger interest of the economy always dictates what goes into the interim budget, including addressing some of the challenges and the government could break convention and make the February 1 exercise more significant than a vote on account,” said Jaitley.
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