The Halwa ceremony, marking the final stage of the budget making process for Union Budget 2021-22, was held in North Block, New Delhi. The Finance Ministry said, a customary Halwa ceremony is performed every year before the lock-in process of Budget preparation begins.
The Union Budget will be presented in Parliament on 1st February. Finance Ministry said, in an unprecedented initiative, Union Budget 2021-22 will be delivered in paperless form for the first time.
On the occasion, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched the – Union Budget Mobile App, for hassle-free access of Budget documents by Members of Parliament and the general public using the simplest form of digital convenience. The mobile App facilitates complete access to 14 Union Budget documents, including the Annual Financial Statement, Demand for Grants and Finance Bill as prescribed by the Constitution.
The App has a user-friendly interface with embedded features of downloading, printing and search. It is bilingual, English and Hindi and will be available on both Android and iOS platforms. The Budget documents will be available on the Mobile App after the completion of the Budget Speech by the Finance Minister on 1st February.