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Ahead of the Budget Session of Parliament, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju will hold a meeting with the floor leaders of political parties in both the houses of the Parliament, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs said in a press release.
The All-Party Meeting will be held at 11:00 am on July 21 at the Main Committee Room, Parliament House Annexe, New Delhi. The Budget Session of Parliament will commence on July 22 and subject to exigencies of Government Business, the session may conclude on August 12. Earlier in the day, the Halwa ceremony, marking the final stage of the budget preparation process for the full Budget of 2024-25, was held in North Block in the presence of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of State Pankaj Chaudhary, and secretaries. Officers and staff involved in the budget preparation and compilation process were also present on the occasion. A customary Halwa ceremony is performed every year before the "lock-in" process of the budget preparation begins. The Halwa Ceremony is a preparation of the Indian sweet dish in a large 'kadhai' at the North Block. The Finance Minister ceremoniously stirs the 'kadhai' and generally serves the halwa to everyone involved in the Budget-making process. This tradition is also a way to acknowledge the hard work of all the finance ministry officials. The halwa ceremony heralds the process of printing all the budget documents ahead of the presentation in Parliament. The halwa ceremony is a significant event as it also marks the beginning of lockdown at the finance ministry. This means no official is allowed to leave the ministry compound. Everyone part of the Budget team is allowed to leave only after the financial document is presented in Parliament. The halwa ceremony is a significant event as it also marks the beginning of lockdown at the finance ministry. This means no official is allowed to leave the ministry compound. Everyone part of the Budget team is allowed to leave only after the financial document is presented in Parliament. The printing of the Union Budget inside the basement located at the North Block has become a permanent feature since 1980. (ANI)
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