Budget 2015 printing starts on a sweet note with halwa ritual

NEW DELHI: There was much stirring of various ingredients under high heat at the finance ministry on Thursday, marking the start to the printing of the Budget documents. The origin of the practice is not too well remembered but the 'halwa' ceremony has become an annual ritual. Finance minister Arun Jaitley is due to present the Budget in Parliament on February 28. The printing takes place under heavy security with more than 100 officials remaining in seclusion until Jaitley's Budget speech is concluded in the Lok Sabha.

Everyone involved in the exercise is sequestered in the basement and no one except the joint secretary, Budget, is allowed to move in and out of the printing area. And, of course, not even the smallest scrap of paper is allowed out of the printing area.

The secrecy is essential as indirect tax provisions kick in right after the Budget. Direct taxes usually take effect from the next fiscal year. This information can be misused if leaked. In fact, the finance ministry is closed to outsiders from the first week of January to minimise distractions during Budget making.