Chennai mayor to present the first Budget in six years on Saturday

After the tenure of the civic body representatives ended in 2016, the elections for local bodies did not take place due to a slew of litigations.

This will be the maiden Budget presentation by the newly elected mayor R Priya (28), who is the first Dalit to head the civic body and also its third woman mayor.

The annual Budget of the Greater Chennai Corporation for 2022-23 will be tabled at the Ripon Building, the headquarters of the civic body, on Saturday by the mayor after a gap of six years.

According to corporation officials, the debate on the Budget will take place on the same day in the presence of the elected councillors and other standing committee members. As per the Budget estimates for 2021-22, the revenue deficit was Rs 546 crore.

This will be the maiden Budget presentation by the newly elected mayor R Priya (28), who is the first Dalit to head the civic body and also its third woman mayor.

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Saturday will also be the first time that the city corporation Budget will be presented since 2016. After the tenure of the civic body representatives ended in 2016, the elections for local bodies did not take place due to a slew of litigations; and the seats of mayor and deputy mayor had remained vacant since.

After the M K Stalin led-DMK assumed charge in May 2021, it announced that the elections for local bodies (both rural and urban) would take place soon. On February 19, 2022, the Greater Chennai Corporation went to the polls along with other corporations, the results of which were declared on February 22.

In the polls, the DMK won 153 seats out of 200, securing a thumping majority. They nominated Priya Rajan and M Mahesh Kumar for the posts of mayor and deputy mayor and both went on to get elected unopposed on March 4.

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