Arun Jaitley Resumes Charge as Finance Minister, Holds Meeting With Officials
Jaitley held a meeting with officials, including Finance Secretary Hasmukh Adhia, at the Ministry of Finance in North Block in the national capital. Jaitley had stepped aside as the Finance Minister in mid-May to undergo a kidney transplant.
New Delhi, August 23: After a three-month surgery break, Arun Jaitley resumed duty as Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs on Thursday. Soon after resuming charge, Jaitley held a meeting with officials, including Finance Secretary Hasmukh Adhia, at the Ministry of Finance in North Block in the national capital. Jaitley had stepped aside as the Finance Minister in mid-May to undergo a kidney transplant at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
On Thursday, President Ram Nath Kovind directed to assign the portfolios of the Minister of Finance and Minister of Corporate Affairs to Arun Jaitley. “The President of India, as advised by the Prime Minister, has directed to assign the portfolios of the Minister of Finance and Minister of Corporate Affairs to Shri Arun Jaitley,” read a statement from Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The 65-year old leader had stopped attending office at the beginning of April. In Jaitley's absence, Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal was looking after the Finance Ministry on an interim basis for the past three months.
Goyal was handed over the additional charge of Finance Ministry after Jaitley underwent the surgery at Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on May 14. On August 9, Jaitley had attended the Rajya Sabha for the election of Deputy Chairman, making it his first public appearance in over four months.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 23, 2018 12:47 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).