Union Budget: Govt To Do Away With ‘Halwa’ Ceremony This Year

New Delhi: The budget session will go ahead this year without the traditional ‘halwa’ ceremony — that marked the beginning of printing of budget documents — in light of the COVID-19 situation, the Ministry of Finance said on Thursday.

According to an official release from the government, sweets will be provided to core staff members who will now remain in “lock-in” at their workplaces instead of the ceremony, reported The Times of India.

These officers will come in contact with the staff and their near and dear ones only after the presentation of the budget in the Parliament.

It was the government’s annual tradition to conduct the halwa ceremony a few days before the Union Budget presentation.

As part of the Budget making ritual, ‘halwa’ is prepared in a big ‘kadhai’ (large frying pot) and served to the Finance Ministry’s entire staff.

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