New Delhi: The finance ministry has kick-started the process of printing of Union Budget with traditional “Halwa Ceremony” on Friday.
Finance minister Arun Jaitley along with minister of state for finance Jayant Sinha, chief economic adviser Arvind Subramanian and all secretaries under him gathered at the printing press situated in the basement of the North Block for the ceremony.
Mr Jaitley served halwa — made of semolina and sugar — to the staffers before himself tasting it. After Mr Jaitley, Mr Sinha distributed the halwa.
Over 100 officials involved in making the Union Budget are locked in the Budget Press in North Block after the halwa ceremony and will remain there till the budget is presented.
The Union Budget for 2016-17 would be presented on February 29. This will be the second full Budget to be presented by Mr Jaitley. It will be third budget of Mr Jaitley if the interim budget of July 2014 is also counted.
Budget Press in North Block houses all these officials in the period leading up to the presentation of Union Budget in Parliament by the finance minister. This is to maintain complete secrecy about the budget. These officers will gain touch with their near and dear ones only after the Union Budget is presented.
Even journalists are banned from entering finance ministry during this period, except when some important announcements are to be made.
The annual budget is prepared by the budget division of department of economic affairs (DEA) headed by the joint secretary (Budget) of the finance ministry. To start the process, the budget division issues an annual budget circular every year.
