Arun Jaitley would not be presenting the interim budget next week.
Piyush Goyal will return as interim finance minister as the current Finance Minister Arun Jaitley receives medical treatment, the President's office said in a statement.
Jaitley would not be presenting the interim budget next week, several media reported quoting sources familiar with the matter. It has also been reported that Jaitley has undergone surgery at a hospital in New York on Tuesday. He has been advised at least two weeks rest by the doctors, sources told news agency PTI.
Goyal, Minister of Railways, will have these portfolios in addition to his existing ones, the statement from the President's office said. Jaitley will be designated as ‘Minister without portfolio’ during the period of his indisposition or till such time he is able to resume his work as Minister of Finance and Minister of Corporate Affairs, it said.
Goyal had taken charge of the finance ministry in Jaitley's absence when he was on medical leave for three months last year following kidney transplant surgery.
Jaitley, a prominent member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's inner circle, had gone to New York for a medical check-up earlier this month. According to PTI, he had undergone tests for soft tissue cancer also. Even during this time, he has been active on social media writing Facebook posts and tweeting about current issues.
66-year-old Jaitley had undergone a kidney transplant surgery on May 14, 2018, at AIIMS here and had not travelled abroad since then.
He was earlier this month named the publicity head of the BJP for the upcoming general elections.
With barely a week left for the 2019-20 Budget, the government Wednesday gave additional charge of Finance and Corporate Affairs portfolios to Railways and Coal Minister Piyush Goyal.
The Interim Budget for 2019-20 would be presented in Parliament on February 1.
(With Agency Inputs)
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