Pollution key issue for Chandigarh voters: ADR

New Delhi, May 4 (IANS) Voters in Chandigarh wanted end of water, air and noise pollution, and improvement in hospitals or primary healthcare centres in the city, revealed the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) survey.

For the survey, around 500 voters in Chandigarh were asked about their priorities and voting pattern. It revealed that water and air pollution (45.96 per cent), noise pollution (45.57 per cent) and improvement in condition of hospitals or primary healthcare centres (45.15 per cent) were their top priorities, said ADR.

However, the Chandigarh administration's performance on top three voter priorities of water and air pollution (1.65 on a scale of 5), noise pollution (1.83) and better hospitals or primary healthcare centres (1.96) was rated below average.

In case of rural areas, top priorities were agriculture loan availability (55 per cent), higher price realisation for farm produce (55 per cent) and better employment opportunities (53 per cent).

The voters said the administration's performance was below average and rated the work done as 1.64 on a scale of 5 for agriculture loan availability, 2.01 for higher price realisation for farm produce and 1.98 for better employment opportunities.

The urban voters reported water and air pollution (47 per cent), noise pollution (47 per cent) and better hospitals or primary healthcare centres (45 per cent) as top priorities and rated the administration's performance below average.

The steps to improve water and air pollution was given 1.65 on the scale of 5, noise pollution 1.83 and better hospitals or primary healthcare centres 1.95.

The ADR voter survey, conducted between October and December 2018, covered 534 Lok Sabha constituencies with 2,73,487 voters participating in the exercise.