Finance Minister kicks off Interim Budget 2024 process with halwa ceremony in North Block

The Halwa ceremony, marking the ultimate stage of the preparation process for Interim Union Budget 2024, was held in North Block on Wednesday in the presence of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Minister of State for Finance Dr. Bhagwat Kisanrao Karad.

The customary Halwa ceremony is carried out yearly earlier than the “lock-in” process of Budget preparation begins after which officers related with the price range making train will not be allowed to go away North Block.

Paperless presentation

Like the earlier three full Union Budgets, the Interim Union Budget 2024 will even be delivered in paperless type. It is to be offered on February 1, the Finance Ministry stated.

All the Union Budget paperwork, together with the Annual Financial Statement (generally often known as Budget), Demand for Grants, Finance Bill and many others. as prescribed by the Constitution, will probably be accessible on the “Union Budget Mobile App” for simple entry of Budget paperwork by MPs and most people, in accordance with a Finance Ministry assertion.

The paperwork will probably be printed each in English & Hindi and will probably be accessible on each Android and iOS platforms. The App can be downloaded from the Union Budget Web Portal (www.indiabudget.gov.in).

The Budget paperwork will probably be accessible on the Mobile App after the completion of the Budget Speech by the Union Finance Minister in Parliament on February 1.

At the halwa ceremony, the Finance Minister was additionally accompanied by senior officers together with Finance Secretary & Secretary, Expenditure, T.V. Somanathan, Secretary, Economic Affairs, Ajay Seth, Secretary, DIPAM Tuhin Kanta Pandey, Secretary, Revenue, Sanjay Malhotra, Chairman, Central Board for Direct Taxes (CBDT), Nitin Gupta, and Chairman, Central Board for Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), Sanjay Kumar Agarwal.

As a part of the ceremony, the Union Finance Minister additionally took a spherical of the Budget Press and reviewed the preparations apart from extending her finest needs to the officers involved.