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Piyush Goyal given additional charge of finance ministry

[File] Union Minister Piyush Goyal | PTI

Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal was given the additional charge of the finance and corporate affairs ministries on Wednesday. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who had left for the United States for a medical check-up, will remain a minister without any portfolio, said a statement released by the Rashtrapati Bhawan.

READ MORE: Piyush Goyal may present interim budget

"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 statement said.

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

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.