Budget 2019: Printing Of Budget Documents Begins With 'Halwa' Ceremony; Know Date, Time, Significance Of Event

Ahead of the Budget presentation, the Ministry of Finance on Saturday performed the customary tradition of the 'Halwa Ceremony' in the national capital.

Nirmala Sitharamn participated in the Halwa Ceremony held today in North Block, New Delhi. (Image: FinMin/ Twitter)

Budget 2019: As India's first full-time woman Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is all set to present the first Union Budget on July 5, industries, market experts and even common citizen of the country look forward to this big economic exercise. Ahead of the Budget presentation, the Ministry of Finance on Saturday performed the customary tradition of the 'Halwa Ceremony' in the national capital. The event was attended by Sitharaman in the North Block of New Delhi in presence of Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur and other Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders. On February 1, the government had presented an Interim Budget to take Parliament nod for spending till the new government takes charge after the general elections. Finance Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg, Revenue Secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey, DIPAM Secretary Atanu Chakraborty and Financial Services Secretary Rajiv Kumar too attended the customary pre-Budget event. "Halwa ceremony marking the commencement of Budget printing process for the General Budget 2019-20 was held in North Block here today afternoon in the august presence of the Union Minister of Finance & Corporate Affairs, Nirmala Sitharaman," a Finance Ministry statement said. What is Halwa Ceremony? The printing of budget documents starts roughly a week ahead of presenting in the Parliament with a customary 'Halwa ceremony' in which halwa (a sweet dish) is prepared in large quantities and served to the officers and support staff involved. Halwa is also served by the Finance Minister. As part of the ritual, 'halwa' is prepared in a big 'kadhai' (large frying pot) and served to the entire staff in the ministry. The significance of the event is that after the sweet dish is served, a large number of officials and support staff, who are directly associated with the Budget making and printing process, are required to stay in the ministry and remain cut off from their families till the presentation of the Budget in the Lok Sabha. They are not even allowed to contact their near and dear ones through phone or any other form of communication, like e-mail. Only very senior officials in the finance ministry are permitted to go home. Ahead of the Budget Halwa ceremony, Budget Quarantine process starts. As Finance Ministry officials sit down to prepare confidential Budget papers, even visitors and mediapersons are restricted to enter the ministry offices. During this time Delhi police officials, Intelligence Bureau officials are deployed to maintain strict vigil. Security personnel, in heavy numbers, guard the all the entry and exit points of the Finance Ministry.