Union Budget 2023-24: India holds customary ‘halwa’ ceremony to mark final stage of Budget preparation

NEW DELHI: The Halwa ceremony, marking the final stage of the Budget preparation process for Union Budget 2023-24, was held in North Block, today afternoon, in the presence of India’s Finance & Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Ministers of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary and Dr. Bhagwat Kisanrao Karad.

Along with the Union FM, the Halwa ceremony was attended by the MoS Finance Shri @mppchaudhary and Dr @DrBhagwatKarad , along with Secretaries of @FinMinIndia, Chairmen of CBDT & CBIC, besides senior officials and members of the Union Budget Press inside North Block. (2/5) pic.twitter.com/ItcYvwAvmI

— Ministry of Finance (@FinMinIndia) January 26, 2023

A customary Halwa ceremony is performed every year before the “lock-in” process of Budget preparation begins.

Like the previous two Union Budgets, Union Budget 2023-24 will also be delivered in paperless form. The Union Budget 2023-24 is to be presented on 1st February, 2023.

Union Finance Minister Smt. @nsitharaman also distributed halwa to members of Budget Press along with other staff of the @FinMinIndia present on the occasion. (5/5) pic.twitter.com/t8vKcH17IO

— Ministry of Finance (@FinMinIndia) January 26, 2023

All the 14 Union Budget documents, including the Annual Financial Statement (commonly known as Budget), Demand for Grants (DG), Finance Bill etc. as prescribed by the Constitution, will available on the “Union Budget Mobile App” for hassle-free access of Budget documents by Members of Parliament (MPs) and the general public using the simplest form of digital convenience. It 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 Finance Minister in Parliament on 1st February, 2023.

At the Halwa Ceremony, the Union Finance Minister was also accompanied by Dr. T.V. Somanathan, Finance Secretary & Secretary Expenditure; Ajay Seth, Secretary, Economic Affairs; Tuhin Kanta Pandey, Secretary, DIPAM; Sanjay Malhotra, Secretary, Revenue; Dr Anantha V. Nageswaran, Chief Economic Advisor; Nitin Gupta, Chairman, Central Board for Direct taxes (CBDT); Shri Vivek Johri, Chairman, Central Board for Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC); and Ashish Vachhani, Additional Secretary (Budget), besides others officers and staff of the Ministry of Finance, involved in the Budget preparation and compilation process, were also present on the occasion.

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