Budget 2019: Printing Of Documents Begins With "Halwa Ceremony"

"Halwa ceremony", marking the commencement of Budget 2019 printing process, was held in North Block in the national capital today in the presence of the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The event assumes significance as once 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. ( Also read: How Is The Budget Prepared? Here Are Five Things To Know)

Here are five things to know about the "Halwa Ceremony" for budget 2019:

1. At the "Halwa Ceremony", the Union Finance Minister was accompanied by the Union Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs Anurag Thakur, Economic Affairs Secretary and Finance Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg, Revenue Secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey, Secretary at the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) Atanu Chakraborty, among others.

2. CBDT (Central Board of Direct Taxes) Chairman Pramod Chandra Mody, CBIC (Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs) Chairman Pranab Kumar Das, Members of CBDT and CBIC and Joint Secretary (Budget) Arvind Srivastava, besides other officers and staff of the Ministry of Finance involved in the Budget preparation and printing process were also present on the occasion. 

3. Later, the Finance Minister took a round of the press and acquainted herself about the printing process.

4. The government shared images of Nirmala Sitharaman, Anurag Thakur, among other officials, distributing the sweet dish. 

5. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the full-year Budget for 2019-20 on July 5. It will be the first budget of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government in its second term.