Jha steps down from FC with 6 months to go

About six months before the 16th Finance Commission (FC) is due to submit its report, one of the three full-time members of the body, Ajay Narayan Jha (pictured), is learnt to have stepped down.

- SUBHOMOY BHATTACHARJEE

Jha brought extensive experience in public finance to the job. The former finance secretary was appointed secretary, expenditure, in the Ministry of Finance in October 2017 and remained in office until February 2019.

The expenditure department handles most financial issues between the Centre and states, among other responsibilities. This was also Jha's third consecutive term in a Finance Commission. He served as a member of the 15th and was secretary to the 14th Finance Commissions. He joined the 15th Finance Commission after replacing Shaktikanta Das, who became governor of the Reserve Bank of India.