Budget preparation kicked in at the North Block with sweets instead of ‘halwa’

Jan 28, 2022
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NEW DELHI: The Union finance ministry on Thursday commenced the ultimate stage of Funds-making course of for 2021-22 with distribution of sweets as an alternative of customary ‘halwa’ ceremony following pointers for Covid-appropriate behaviour, in line with an official assertion.

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman will current the Union Funds on February 1 in a paperless kind and a “Union Funds Cellular App” has been launched for hassle-free entry to Funds paperwork by each Members of Parliament (MPs) and most of the people, it stated.

“To mark the ultimate stage of the Union Funds making course of, sweets have been supplied to the core employees attributable to bear ‘lock-in’ at their workplaces, as an alternative of a customary Halwa ceremony yearly in view of the prevailing pandemic scenario and the necessity to observe well being security protocols,” the finance ministry stated.

A customary halwa ceremony is carried out yearly earlier than the ‘lock-in’ of the officers concerned in making the Funds preparation begins, which goals to take care of secrecy of the Funds.

Funds Press, located contained in the North Block, homes all officers throughout the complete interval until the Funds is offered within the Parliament. These officers and employees are available in contact with their members of the family and associates solely after the Funds is offered by the Union finance minister within the Parliament.

In a historic transfer, the Union Funds for 2021-22 was delivered in paperless kind for the primary time and the identical will proceed even this yr, the ministry stated. A ‘Union Funds Cellular App’ was additionally launched for hassle-free entry of Funds paperwork by MPs and most of the people.

“The Union Funds 2022-23 would even be obtainable on the Cellular App after the method of Funds presentation has been accomplished on 1st February 2022 within the Parliament,” it stated.

The cellular App permits full entry to 14 Union Funds paperwork, together with the Funds Speech, Annual Monetary Assertion (generally referred to as Funds), Demand for Grants (DG), Finance Invoice. The cellular app is bilingual (English and Hindi) and is on the market on each Android and iOS platforms.

The App may also be downloaded from the Union Funds Internet Portal (www.indiabudget.gov.in). The funds paperwork may even be obtainable for obtain by most of the people on Union Funds Internet Portal (www.indiabudget.gov.in).