Budget 2019: Meet FM Nirmala Sitharaman's team

New Delhi, July 05: Union Budget 2019 will be announced today, and people have high expectations from Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

In her maiden budget, the Finance Minister is expected to address the issues of slowing economy, financial sector problems including NPAs and liquidity crisis, agrarian crisis and job creation. She is also expected to boost spending and provide tax relief to consumers.

Nirmala Sitharaman's budget team comprises Minister of State for Finance Anurag Singh Thakur and Chief Economic Advisor Krishnamurthy Subramanian. The official team is led by Finance Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg, Expenditure Secretary Girish Chandra Murmu, Revenue Secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey, DIPAM Secretary Atanu Chakraborty, and Financial Services Secretary Rajiv Kumar.

K Subramanian-Chief Economic Advisor

K Subramanian released the new government's first Economic Survey before the upper and lower houses of the Parliament. He is a globally recognised scholar and has worked with RBI, SEBI and JPMorgan Chase, New York as a consultant. He obtained his PhD under the mentorship of former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan. His prognosis and remedies to kickstart the slowing economy would form crucial inputs for the budget this year.

Subhash Chandra Garg- Finance Secretary and Economic Affairs Secretary

A 1983 batch IAS officer of Rajasthan cadre, Subhash Chandra Garg was also the part of the team of the Budget 2018. He has also served as an Executive Director at the World Bank. A graduate degree in Law (LLB) and Commerce (BCom) from Rajasthan University, Garg is a professionally qualified Cost and Works Accountant, besides a qualified Company Secretary. He has also been a Director of Life Insurance Corporation of India since August 21, 2017.

Ajay Bhushan Pandey- Revenue Secretary

A Maharashtra cadre IAS officer of 1984 batch, Ajay Bhushan Pandey was appointed as the chief executive officer (CEO) of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), the nodal agency responsible for implementing Aadhaar. A BTech in computer science from Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, Pandey has also been given the additional charge of Goods and Services Tax (GST) Network as its chairperson in September 2017.

G C Murmu- Expenditure Secretary

Senior Gujarat-cadre IAS officer G C Murmu has served in the depts of financial services and revenue earlier. The 1985 batch IAS officer, is at present Special Secretary in the Department of Revenue. he would have to keep spending in check without compromising the delivery of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's flagship schemes.

Rajeev Kumar- Financial Services Secretary

Kumar has played an instrumental role in delivering some of the key agendas of the Modi government, including merger of state-run banks and getting a check on the burgeoning bad loans.

Atanu Chakraborty- DIPAM Secretary

Atanu Chakraborty is a Gujarat cadre IAS officer of 1985 batch, with a wide experience of over 22 years of working in the various state as well as Central government Departments, Chakraborty has also been Managing Director Gujarat Petroleum Corporation. Chakraborty is an engineering graduate and is said to have specialisation in electronics and communication, besides completing Post Graduate Diploma in Business Finance and later an MBA from the UK (Business Administration).