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Printing of Budget document begins with ‘halwa’ ceremony

To mark an auspicious start to the printing process of Budget documents, popular dessert ‘halwa’ was on Friday cooked and dished out in the Finance Ministry as the last mile run began in the preparation of Union Minister Arun Jaitley’s third Budget.

Before the minister presents the Budget in Parliament on February 29, a lot of work goes on behind the locked doors of the Finance Ministry in North Block. The final lap of printing of Budget documents begins with a traditional halwa ceremony.

Jaitley along with MoS 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 on Friday.

Halwa, made of semolina and sugar, was distributed with Jaitley serving some of the staffers before himself tasting it. After the distribution of halwa, Jaitley exchanged wishes with officials, after which the printing began.

The halwa ceremony holds significance as staff directly associated with the Budget making and printing process are required to stay in the ministry, cut off from their families.

They are not even allowed to contact their near and dear ones through phone or any other form of communication. 
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