The Hindu Business Line : Montek may be in PMO soon

WITH Dr Manmohan Singh — who as Finance Minister launched the process of reforms in the country — now heading the Congress-led UPA coalition Government as the Prime Minister, can his trusted lieutenant, Dr Montek Singh Ahluwalia, be away for long?

Improbable, say informed sources. Come July and Dr Ahluwalia is expected to take up an important assignment in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), after completing his stint in the International Monetary Fund.

Sources say that Dr Ahluwalia is likely to join as Economic Advisor to the Prime Minister, or he may even be appointed as the Chairman of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister.

Highly articulate on economic issues, sources say that Dr Ahluwalia is expected to lend the punch to the Government's economic reforms. .

Dr Singh's deputy was here on a day's stop-over in the capital on his way to Beijing to attend a conference. On Saturday, he had a meeting with the Finance Minister, Mr P. Chidambaram, and was scheduled to meet the Prime Minister later during the course of the day.

In an informal chat with newspersons after meeting Mr Chidambaram, Dr Ahluwalia had a number of good things to say on the perception abroad about the Congress-led Government with the two reformers, Dr Manmohan Singh and Mr Chidambaram back at the helm.