Union Cabinet Chaired By PM Modi To Meet Tomorrow

New Delhi: The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to meet on July 18 at 10.30 am in Delhi ahead of the Union Budget-2024, which is scheduled to be presented in the Parliament on July 23 by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. According to the news agency ANI, PM Modi will later visit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) headquarters in Delhi. The Union Cabinet meeting on Thursday is likely to be joined by Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Sitharaman, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Health Minister JP Nadda among others.

The Budget Session of Parliament will commence on 22 July, 2024 and subject to the exigencies of Government Business, the session may conclude on 12 August, 2024.

Meanwhile, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju will hold a meeting with the floor leaders of political parties in both houses of the Parliament ahead of the Budget Session of Parliament, the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs said in a press release.

PM Modi Will Also Address Party Workers At BJP Headquarters on Thursday

During his visit at the BJP headquarters, PM Modi will address and meet party workers at the office ahead of the Budget Session of Parliament, several scheduled bypolls, and assembly polls.

The Halwa ceremony, marking the final stage of the budget preparation process for the full Budget of 2024-25, was held in North Block on Tuesday 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 interim budget, tabled on February 1, took care of the financial needs of the intervening period until a government was formed after the Lok Sabha polls, after which a full budget was supposed to be presented by the new government in July.

During the inaugural session of the 18th Lok Sabha, the opposition INDI Alliance brought attention to various contentious issues including the NEET controversy, Manipur situation, and rising prices. The debates led to disruptions and subsequent adjournments in Parliament.