Goyal gets addl charge of ministry of finance, corporate affairs 9 days ahead of budget

Nine days ahead of the interim Budget, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has been given additional charge of Finance and Corporate Affairs ministries in view of indisposition of Arun Jaitley, who is currently undergoing treatment abroad, an official release from the Rashtrapati Bhavan said Wednesday.

According to the release, the President, as advised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, directed that during the period of Jaitley's indisposition, the portfolios of the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Corporate Affairs, held by him, be temporarily assigned to Goyal, in addition to his existing portfolios.

The BJP-led NDA government will be presenting its last Budget on February 1.

It further said that Jaitley will remain a minister without portfolio during the period of his indisposition or till such time he is able to resume his work as the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Corporate Affairs.

This will be the second stint of Goyal in both the ministries as he had headed the crucial portfolios for 100 days when Jaitley had undergone kidney transplant in May last year.

Jaitley had resumed charge of the ministries of finance and corporate affairs, returning to work on August 23, last year.

Speaking a fortnight ahead of the Budget, Jaitley underlined that there have been precedents of interim budgets containing major policy announcements to tackle an urgent situation.