New Delhi: Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman conducted the halwa ceremony on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, marking the close of the Budget formulation and the start of a period of secrecy until July 23, 2024.
Budget 2024 is set to be tabled before the Parliament on July 23, 2024, by Finance Minister. While industry, the corporate sector and the common citizen have great expectations from Sitharaman’s 7th straight Budget, all eyes will be on the growth path that will be laid down in the first Budget of Modi government 3.0.
What is halwa ceremony
The halwa ceremony marks the beginning of the last phase of Budget preparations. During this period, officials involved in the framing of the Budget maintain a low profile to maintain utmost secrecy and prevent any leakage with respect to the contents of the Union Budget.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, all officials involved in the Budget framing exercise spent their days in the finance ministry’s offices. This has continued with officials expected to avoid personal calls, disallowed from accessing their mobile phones and made to stay in their office in North Block until Budget Day 2024. These officials will only leave the office once the FM finishes her Budget speech.
The final stage of the Budget preparation process for Union Budget 2024-25 commenced with the customary Halwa ceremony in the presence of Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Smt. @nsitharaman, in New Delhi, today. (1/4) pic.twitter.com/X1ywbQx70A
— Ministry of Finance (@FinMinIndia) July 16, 2024
How to access Union Budget 2024
The halwa ceremony also marks the beginning of the publication of Budget 2024. To be sure, the Budget has turned completely digital with the government ending the practice of distributing hard copies. Now, it is available for all to see in soft copy on an official link provided by the finance ministry.
The contents of the Budget can be read after it is tabled on an official app, the Union Budget mobile app, available on Apple App Store and Google Play Store. The Budget soft copy can also be downloaded from the official Budget website https://www.indiabudget.gov.in/.
Budget 2024: Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman conducted the halwa ceremony on Tuesday. Here’s what it means. Biz News Business News – Personal Finance News, Share Market News, BSE/NSE News, Stock Exchange News Today
