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Montek begins Planning Commission stint

Former finance secretary Montek Singh Ahluwalia has assumed charge as member of the Planning Commission with responsibility in many key economic fields, including telecommunication, information technology and civil aviation.

Ahluwalia is the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government's first member to join the Planning Commission. The commission is headed by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Jaswant Singh is the deputy chairman of the Commission.

Ahluwalila will look after the ministry of industry and mines, information technology, communications including the department of telecommunications, ministry of information and broadcasting, civil aviation and tourism, international economic relations, including the World Trade Organisation and the Indo-Japan Study Committee.

A former secretary in the commerce ministry, Ahluwalia played a key role in carrying out policies relating to liberalisation and globalisation of the economy.

UNI