New Delhi: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday performed the symbolic 'Halwa Ceremony' at the North Block in central Delhi ahead of the Budget Session of Parliament from January 29.
The ceremony marks the inauguration of the formal printing of different documents relating to the Union Budget for 2018-19.
Perhaps the most interesting of the Budget traditions, in it the finance minister is photographed stirring a huge kadhai with the simmering sweet.
It is observed to maintain the secrecy of the budget preparation process. As part of the ritual, 'halwa' is prepared in a big wok and served to the entire staff in the ministry.
The significance of this is the commencement of printing of documents related to the budget. It is said that officials from the ministry are required to stay back at the printing press itself until the Budget is presented in Parliament, barring select senior officials.
Apart from Jaitley, Chief Economic Adviser Arvind Subramanian, Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg, MoS Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla and others were present at the ceremony.
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