Finance Ministry officials on Monday kicked off printing process of Budget documents with customary "halwa ceremony".
The ceremony marks commencement of process of printing documents for Budget.
The event assumes significance as once sweet dish is served, a large number of officials and support staff - who are directly associated with Budget making and printing process - are required to stay in ministry and remain cut off from their families till presentation of Budget in Lok Sabha.
Here are five things to know:The government is due to presented interim budget on February 1.
That will mark last budget before general election due by May this year.The government shared images of senior Union ministers Shiv Pratap Shukla and Pon Radhakrishnan greeting each other with sweet dish.However, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was not present at event.
Mr Jaitley, who earlier this month left for US for treatment, will return from to country to present interim budget, top government sources told TheIndianSubcontinent.The lock-in which follows 'halwa ceremony' is observed to maintain secrecy of budget preparation process.Only very senior officials in Ministry of Finance are permitted to go home during this period.
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