The Lok Sabha on Tuesday (July 30) passed the Union Budget 2024-25.
Before the passage of the Budget 2024, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, replying on Budget 2024, gave a detailed response to Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi’s jab over ‘halwa’ ceremony. She said that there is “conspiracy to break this society into compartments behind asking questions about how many SC/ST or OBC officials are part of the halwa ceremony and the making of the Budget.”
Getting into the details about the significance of the ‘halwa’ ceremony before the Union Budget, Sitharaman said: “Bharat mei ek tradition hai, koi bhi accha kaam shuru karne se pehle, mooh meetha karna (In India, there is a tradition of having something sweet before starting a good work.)
“When there was a printing press on Minto Road, the staff used to go there and would not come out until the budget was presented. That system is still in place today. Earlier they (those involved in making of the Budget) used to stay there for 8 days – 9 nights, now they have to stay there for 4 days – 5 nights in the cellar of North block,” Sitharaman said.
“This is essentially because the confidentiality of budget making has to be respected and so they go in but before going in, we start this ‘halwa’ ceremony,” FM Sitharaman said.
After the ceremony, the officials and staff involved in the budget-making process are confined to their offices until the budget is presented in Parliament.
This seclusion is done with an intent to maintain confidentiality and prevent any leaks or premature disclosures of budgetary proposals, the Finance Minister said.
She also highlighted media reports on ‘halwa’ ceremony and said it is seen as a gesture of appreciation for the officials and staff involved in the arduous task of compiling the budget documents.
By incorporating this ritual of preparing and sharing sweets like ‘halwa’ into the budget-making process, the ceremony bridges the gap between tradition and modern governance practices, Sitharaman said.
The statement by FM Sitharaman came a day after comments made by Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha where he cited Mahabharata’s ‘chakravyuha’ (trap) to attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre.
Gandhi pulled out a photo of ‘halwa’ ceremony which, as per tradition, was held at the Ministry of Finance before the presentation of Union Budget and said: “This photo shows budget ka halwa being distributed in this photo. I can’t see one OBC or tribal or a Dalit officer in this. 20 officers prepared the budget … Hindustan ka halwa 20 logon ne baatne ka kaam kiya hai.”
With inputs from agencies
Link to article –
Watch: FM Sitharaman replies to Rahul Gandhi’s jab over ‘halwa’ ceremony
