Arun Jaitley in US for medical check-up regarding kidney ailment; finance minister to present Budget in February

New Delhi: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley unexpectedly left for the US for a medical check-up relating to his kidney ailment, sources said. Jaitley, who had undergone a renal transplant surgery on 14 May, 2018, has not travelled abroad in last nine months. [caption id=“attachment_5242341” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Union finance minister Arun Jaitley. Reuters[/caption] He was scheduled to attend the 10th India-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue in London in April 2018, but had cancelled his visit due to his kidney ailment. Sources said he left for the US on Sunday night for a medical check-up. Jaitley is to present his sixth and the BJP-led NDA government’s last Budget on 1 February, before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Though it is supposed to be an interim budget, it is widely expected that his speech would have been full length budget speech. Jaitley was admitted to AIIMS last year in early April following which he underwent dialysis. He had a renal transplant surgery in May. In his absence, Railways Minister Piyush Goyal was given the additional charge of Finance Ministry on 14 May. Jaitley, 66, who had stopped attending office at the beginning of April, and was back in North Block — the seat of Finance Ministry — on 23 August. Jaitley had in September 2014, undergone a bariatric surgery to treat weight gain that he suffered because of a long-standing diabetic condition. That surgery was first performed at Max Hospital, but Jaitley was later shifted to AIIMS because of complications. He had a heart surgery several years ago.