Chhattisgarh Finance Minister OP Choudhary presents 100-page handwritten budget

Chhattisgarh Finance Minister OP Choudhary on Monday presented the Vishnu Deo Sai government's budget for the year 2025-26. Among the announcements of several initiatives aimed at boosting the state's economy and improving the lives of citizens, the budget document also stood out for a totally different reason.

The 100-page budget document was handwritten by Choudhary himself!

CREDIT: OP Choudhary

Handwritten budget document

According to reports, it took the 2005-batch IAS officer three days to complete the 100-page document.

This was the first time in the state's history that a handwritten budget was presented. Until now, Chhattisgarh had been following the practice of presenting 'computer-typed budgets.'

CREDIT: OP Choudhary

"This initiative revives the essence of authenticity and transparency in governance," Choudhary said.

While the handwritten document could be a first, this is not the first time Chhattisgarh has made headlines for its unique budget presentation.

Baghel's cow dung briefcase

In 2022, Congress leader and then Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel carried the budget document in a briefcase made of cow dung.

CREDIT: ANI

The briefcase was reportedly made using ingredients such as cow dung powder, gum, and flour, and it took around 10 days to make the unique bag.

How Union Budget presentation evolved

In recent years, the presentation of the Union Budget has also undergone several changes.

In 2019, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman broke away from the tradition of using the Budget briefcase and opted for a 'bahi-khata' to carry the Union Budget document.

CREDIT: REUTERS

In 2021, Sitharaman once again changed the way the Union Budget is presented by opting for a digital tablet, making it the first paperless budget in Indian history.

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