Marathi-origin girl re-appointed as an Advisor in Sweden Prime Minister Office

A Marathi-origin 'mulgi' (girl) has been re-appointed as an Advisor in the Sweden Prime Minister's Office in charge of the crucial departments of Finance, Housing and Financial Markets, her family members said here on Wednesday. Nila A. Vikhe-Patil, 32, will be working with the new Swedish Prime Minister, K. Stefan Lofven of the Social Democrat and Green Party coalition government that assumed office on January 18. She is the granddaughter of late Union minister Balasaheb Vikhe-Patil, who served under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Her father, Dr Ashok Vikhe-Patil said that housing and finance are crucial portfolios and she would be in charge of the country's central budget and taxes. A member of the Green Party, Nila is also an elected member of the Stockholm Municipal Corporation's City Council.

"This is her re-appointment to the post. In the previous government, Nila has handled departments like small and medium industries, social development, gender policy and the central budget for three years," her proud father told IANS on Nila's unique distinction. Born in Sweden, Nila was educated mostly in Europe, and holds a management degree from Gothenburg School of Business, and studied economics and law and also acquired an MBA from Madrid's University de Complutense, he said.

Joining active politics from a young age, she has been associated with Swedish Young Greens, Green Party Gothenburg, Green Students of Sweden and on top executive positions of the Green Party, now part of the country's ruling coalition, Vikhe-Patil added. However, Nila has not severed links with the country of her origin and comes visiting often, the last trip being in June 2018. The niece of Maharashtra's Leader of Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, Nila's great-grandfather made history by setting up Asia's first cooperative sugar factory in Ahmednagar.

(With inputs from agencies.)