The government on Wednesday announced it has given Railways and Coal Minister Piyush Goyal the additional charge of the Ministry of Finance while Arun Jaitley recovers his health.
“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,” the government said in a statement.
The statement added that, as advised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr. Jaitley would be designated as a Minister without a portfolio during the period of his indisposition or till the time he is able to resume work.
With just about a week left for the presentation of the Vote on Account on February 1, Mr. Goyal’s appointment as the Finance Minister makes it extremely likely that he will present it.
Mr. Jaitley is currently in the U.S. for medical treatment, according to the Ministry of Finance, which declined to comment on rumours that he had contracted cancer of the soft tissues in the thighs.
This is the second time Mr. Goyal has taken over from Mr. Jaitley due to the latter’s heath.
Last year, Mr. Goyal took over as the Finance Minister while Mr. Jaitley recovered from a kidney transplant surgery.
