New Delhi: The final stage of the Interim Union Budget 2024 preparation was marked by the traditional Halwa ceremony, held today in North Block, attended by Union finance & corporate affairs minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Union minister of state for finance Bhagwat Kisanrao Karad. This customary event precedes the “lock-in” process of Budget preparation each year and heralds the budget’s imminent presentation.
Consistent with the practices of the previous three Union Budgets, the Interim Union Budget 2024 will be delivered in a paperless form. Scheduled to be presented on 1st February 2024, the Budget documents, including crucial components like the Annual Financial Statement, Demand for Grants, and Finance Bill, will be made accessible on the “Union Budget Mobile App.”
This bilingual app, available in English and Hindi, is designed for hassle-free access to Budget documents by Members of Parliament and the general public, emphasizing the government’s commitment to digital convenience. The app can be downloaded from both Android and iOS platforms, as well as from the Union Budget Web Portal (www.indiabudget.gov.in).
The documents will be available on the app after the completion of the Budget Speech by the Union finance minister in Parliament on the said date.
The Halwa ceremony saw the participation of key finance officials including T.V. Somanathan, Finance Secretary & Secretary Expenditure; Ajay Seth, Secretary, Economic Affairs; Tuhin Kanta Pandey, Secretary, DIPAM; Sanjay Malhotra, Secretary, Revenue; Nitin Gupta, Chairman, Central Board for Direct taxes (CBDT); Sanjay Kumar Agarwal, Chairman, Central Board for Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC); and Ashish Vachhani, Additional Secretary (Budget). Other officers and staff of the ministry of finance involved in the Budget preparation were also present.
During the ceremony, Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman reviewed the preparations at the Budget Press and extended her best wishes to the officials concerned.
