Even as IMF executive director Vijay Kelkar is yet to receive a formal appointment letter as adviser to finance minister Jaswant Singh, he has already moved to North Block. Incidentally, he has been given the same cabin from where Rakesh Mohan, adviser to the previous finance minister Yashwant Sinha, used to function.
According to sources, Kelkar has lined up a series of meetings with top government officials this week.
He met the finance minister today besides discussing critical issues with senior officials, including the Central Board of Excise and Customs chairman and the joint secretary in the capital markets division.
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Kelkar is slated to meet Brajesh Mishra, principal secretary in the Prime Minister's Office, and present revenue secretary S Narayan tomorrow. Sources said Kelkar was likely to take charge as adviser to the finance minister on August 1.
Singh's new team for the next Budget will comprise not only the finance secretary and the revenue and expenditure secretaries, but also a chief economic adviser, a financial sector secretary and Kelkar as the adviser with minister of state rank. The interviews for the chief economic adviser's post are scheduled for July 25-26.