Halwa ceremony held; stage set for interim Budget

The Halwa ceremony, marking the final stage of the budget preparation process for Interim Union Budget 2024, was held in North Block on Wednesday in the presence of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

Union Minister of State for Finance Bhagwat Kisanrao Karad was also present.

A customary halwa ceremony is performed every year before the "lock-in" process of Budget preparation begins.

Like the previous three full Union Budgets, Interim Union Budget 2024 will also be delivered in paperless form.

The Interim Union Budget 2024 will be presented on February 1.

An interim Budget will be presented this year as Lok Sabha elections are expected to be held in April-May.

A finance ministry release said that all the Union Budget documents, including the Annual Financial Statement (commonly known as Budget), Demand for Grants (DG), Finance Bill, as prescribed by the Constitution, will be available on the "Union Budget Mobile App" for hassle-free access of budget documents by Members of Parliament (MPs) and people.

The release said that the app is bilingual (English & Hindi) and will be available on both Android and iOS platforms. The App can also be downloaded from the Union Budget Web Portal (www.indiabudget.gov.in).

The Budget documents will be available on the Mobile App after the completion of the Budget Speech by the Union Finance Minister in Parliament on 1st February, 2024.

This app ensures convenient access to Budget documents for Members of Parliament (MPs) and the general public, utilizing the simplicity of digital convenience, the release said.

Senior ministry officials were present at the Halwa ceremony.

Officers and staff of the involved in the budget preparation and compilation process, were also present on the occasion.

As part of the ceremony, the Union Finance Minister also took a round of the Budget Press and reviewed the preparations besides extending her best wishes to the officials concerned.

The Budget session of parliament will begin on January 31 and would conclude on February 9.

This will be the last session of Parliament before Lok Sabha elections.