Salem: The Salem Municipal Corporation on Thursday presented a 35.85 crore deficit budget for the 2026-27 financial year, with the total expected expenditure of 802.26 crore exceeding its projected revenue and capital inflow of 776.41 crore. Mayor A Ramachandran presented the budget.AIADMK members, meanwhile, staged a walkout condemning the corporation’s financial report and the move of privatizing water supply despite strong opposition. AIADMK councillors, who came clad in black dress, said it was an anti-people and a ‘paper flower’ budget and attracted attention by wearing flowers in their ears. They later staged a walk out in protest against DMK awarding water supply projects worth 4,315 crore to a private firm. VCK councillor from ward 44 Imayavaramban came to the council with a plastic pipe wrapped around his body and carrying a banner urging the govt to scrap privatization of water projects. His statement that the project was brought during the previous AIADMK regime created commotion for some time with AIADMK councillor Selvaraj stating Imayavaramban was misleading the council. V Deivalingam, councillor from ward 9, spoke about the stray dog problem prevailing in the corporation areas and said they should be captured and exported to China.
