New Delhi: The Ministry of Finance said in a statement that the traditional "halwa" ceremony ahead of the Budget 2023 will be performed on 26 January this year, in the presence of finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Following the ceremony the employees who are part of the Budget-making process move to the basement of the north block for about 10 days.

In a series of tweets on Wednesday, the ministry said the ceremony will be held in the Budget Press situated inside North Block.

The annual tradition marks the starting point for all Budget-related events and is held before the “lock-in" process of officials involved in the Budget preparation. 

Last year, the ceremony was skipped owing to health and safety concerns.

This year it will remain there until FM Nirmala Sitharaman presents the annual Budget on 1 February. This is done to ensure that there are no leaks. The finance ministry prepares the budget in consultation with the Niti Aayog and concerned ministries.

The ministry informed that like the previous two years, the Union Budget for 2023-24 will also be delivered in paperless form.

Last year, a “Union Budget Mobile App" was also launched for hassle-free access of Budget documents by Members of Parliament and the general public after the process of the Budget presentation was completed in Parliament.

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