After a gap of over a month, Arun Jaitley resumed charge as the Union finance minister on Friday. He was on a break, his second one within a year, to undergo medical treatment for kidney ailment.
The President of India, as advised by the Prime Minister’s Office, directed to assign the portfolios of the Minister of Finance and Minister of Corporate Affairs to Arun Jaitley, an official statement said on Friday.
In Jaitley’s absence, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal had been officiating as the FM since 23 January, and presented the Union Budget on 1 February.
“Resumed work at the Ministry of Finance today (Friday). Thankful to Shri Piyush Goyal who discharged the responsibility at the MoF diligently & competently,” Jaitley tweeted.
Resumed work at the Ministry of Finance today. Thankful to Shri Piyush Goyal who discharged the responsibility at the MoF diligently & competently. @PiyushGoyal
— Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) February 15, 2019
Acknowledging his tweet, Goyal posted: “Delighted to welcome back Shri @ArunJaitley, grateful for his continuous guidance and support.”
Delighted to welcome back Shri @ArunJaitley, grateful for his continuous guidance and support. https://t.co/ciAZis27Lo
— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) February 15, 2019
Jaitley, 66, who had left for the US on January 13 for his treatment, returned on February 9.
He attended the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday to discuss the Pulwama terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir that killed nearly 40 CRPF personnel. From there, he headed to his ministry to take back charge.
Jaitley had taken a break in April last year due to his kidney ailment, and was back on August 23, after undergoing a kidney transplant surgery on May 14 at AIIMS in New Delhi. At that time too, Goyal had been entrusted with the finance ministry, which he had to handle for about 100 days.