Where's our Finance Minister?

The government of India does not have a finance minister any longer -- at least, according to official and non-official on-line lists.

For instance, a week after Pranab Mukherjee resigned as finance minister to stand for presidential elections, a click on the 'finance

minister' link on the official finance ministry website results in 'page not found'.

This despite the fact that the PMO announced that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would hold the finance portfolio, immediately after Mukherjee resigned.

On sarkaritel.com, a private initiative that serves as a gateway to the government, the council of ministers does not include the finance portfolio at all.