Budget 2022: Customary 'halwa ceremony' dropped due to COVID restrictions
The decision to not conduct the halwa ceremony was taken due to the Covid-19 restrictions. Sweets would be provided to the core staff of the Finance Ministry at their workplaces.
FollowAhead of the Budget Session, the customary 'halwa ceremony' has been dropped for this year due to the Covid-19 surge in the country. This would be the first time the halwa ceremony will not take place before the Budget session of the Parliament as per reports.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will be announcing the Union Budget 2022-23 on February 1. The decision to not conduct the halwa ceremony was taken due to the Covid-19 restrictions. Sweets would be provided to the core staff of the Finance Ministry at their workplaces.
In January's first week, nearly 400 staff members of the Parliament had tested positive for Covid-19. Currently, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, residing in Hyderabad, tested positive for Covid-19 on Sunday.
Meanwhile, this would be the second time in a row that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman would be presenting a paperless Union Budget; last year was the first time due to Covid, the ministry decided to introduce the Budget in a paperless format.
The Finance Ministry released an official statement that read, “To mark the final stage of the Union Budget making process, sweets were provided to the core staff due to the undergo 'lock-in' at their workplace, instead of the customary Halwa ceremony every year in the view of the prevailing pandemic situation and the need to observe health safety protocols.”
Similar to last year Union Budget, 2022-23 would be available to view on a mobile application. The mobile app would allow users to download the documents after Budget 2022-23 is presented in Parliament.
The Budget session of the Parliament will begin next week. Nirmala Sitharaman's Budget Session speech, Annual Financial Statement, the Demand for Grants, Finance Bill would be available on the app for download and the Union Budget website - (www.indiabudget.gov.in).
