Civic body polls: Drug abuse remains a concern for voters

Batala: Drug abuse dominated voter concerns during the civic body polls on Tuesday, with a majority of them saying that they expect their elected representatives to work sincerely towards eradicating the menace.While civic issues like sanitation, streets and drainage remained key concerns, voters maintained that the development work was the basic responsibility of any elected leader, but curbing drugs required urgent political will.TOI spoke to voters across age groups, standing patiently in queues amid heavy security arrangements.Many voters expressed disappointment over the limited impact of the govt's ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh' campaign, saying drugs were still easily available in their localities."Feeling good to vote, but we need a good candidate," said Gurdev Singh after casting his vote. "Sanitation, streets and drains should be improved, but drugs must be eradicated. The future of our children is in danger," he emphasised.At one polling booth, sons carried an elderly man to the station on a chair so that he could exercise his right to vote.Narinder Kaur, an elderly voter, echoed similar concerns. "It is good to cast our vote, but drugs should not be available like this. We expect our candidate to set an example and eradicate drugs from our ward. Sanitation is another major issue," she said.For many voters, the elections were not just about development, but also about a secure future."I want to vote for a person who will develop the area," said Sarita Kumari, a young voter. "Development and employment opportunities matter to the youth. There should also be a check on drug abuse," she added.