Budget 2023: Why budget's printing was shifted to North Block from Rashtrapati Bhavan?

Union Budget 2023: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the union budget for the financial year 2023-24 (FY24) in parliament on Wednesday, February 1. Several traditions are followed before the presentation of the union budget. One of them is the Halwa Ceremony, which took place on Thursday, January 26. 

With the Halwa ceremony, the printing of the budget gets a green signal. This printing is generally being done in the basement of the North Block. 

But do you know, before North Block, the budget documents were printed in Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Why did the Location change?
Till 1950, the printing work of the budget was done in Rashtrapati Bhavan, but in that year some parts of the budget got leaked. John Mathai was the Finance Minister then.

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Mathai was accused of serving the interests of big powers immediately after the budget was presented then. John Mathai had to resign and the place of printing the union budget was changed. 

The process of printing the budget started at Minto Road, New Delhi. Although that was the first and last time when the budget was leaked.
In the year 1980, the government decided to set up a printing press in the North Block and since then the printing work of the Union Budget is being done in the North Block as of today. 

What is Halwa Ceremony? 
Every year before the commencement of the budget printing, the Halwa Ceremony is organized.

A customary Halwa ceremony is performed every year before the “lock-in” process. The “lock-in” of officials involved in Budget preparation is done to ensure the secrecy of the Budget and the officers come out of the North Block only after it is presented in Parliament by the Finance Minister.

They are not allowed to use the phone, or to meet family members. These precautions are taken to maintain the secrecy of budget documents.