Final Stage Of Budget 2023-24 Preparation Process Begins, To Be Presented In Parliament On 1 February

The Halwa ceremony, marking the final stage of the Budget preparation process for Union Budget 2023-24, was held in North Block on Thursday (26 January) afternoon.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Unionn Ministers of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary and Bhagwat Kisanrao Karad were also present during the ceremony.

A customary Halwa ceremony is performed every year before the “lock-in” process of Budget preparation begins, the Finance Ministry said on Thursday.

Like the previous two Union Budgets, Union Budget 2023-24 will also be delivered in paperless form.

As part of the ceremony, the Finance Minister also took a tour of the Budget Press and reviewed the preparations besides extending her best wishes to the officials concerned.

All the 14 Union Budget documents, including the Annual Financial Statement (commonly known as Budget), Demand for Grants (DG), Finance Bill etc. as prescribed by the Constitution, will available on the “Union Budget Mobile App” for hassle-free access of Budget documents by Members of Parliament (MPs) and the general public using the simplest form of digital convenience.

The app is bilingual (English and Hindi) and will be available on both Android and iOS platforms. 

The Budget documents will be available on the Mobile App after the completion of the Budget Speech by the Finance Minister in Parliament on 1 February.