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Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
15 died a month on Trichy city roads till May
Trichy: Road accidents have claimed 77 lives this year in Trichy city till May, with the average fatalities marginally up than the past two years. While not even half the year has passed, two accident hotspots have already recorded more deaths than last year. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Police said that more than 50% of the deceased in accidents this year were two-wheeler riders. According to data shared by the city police, Trichy city recorded 70 fatal and 179 non-fatal accidents till May. On an average, 15 people have died a month in road accidents in 2025, compared to 13 a month in 2024 and 2023. Of the total 77 dead in the ongoing year, 44 were two-wheelers riders and pillion riders while 27 were pedestrians. Of the total 249 accidents, most were reported during peak hours, between 9 am and 12 noon, and 3pm to 6pm. Speeding two-wheelers, lack of lane discipline, and drunk driving were chief causes of the fatal accidents, police said. "Early in the year, the city recorded multiple deaths involving two-wheelers, and victims were from the same family. Miscalculation while overtaking heavy vehicles on busy highways was the cause. Helmet adherence has improved but riders now extensively talk on mobile phones," a senior officer of city traffic police told TOI. As for the 27 pedestrians who perished, police said that crossing national highways through unauthorized median openings, and padayatra devotees taking risky trails along highway carriageways proved fatal. At least two pedestrians were also fatally knocked down by buses near terminuses in the city while crossing roads. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now National Highways (NH) have recorded more fatalities, while roads managed by Trichy corporation account for a maximum number of non-fatal accidents. Since the city is expanding in the southern and eastern sides, including Panjapur, KK Nagar, and Kattur, police said that new accident-prone hotspots have emerged and recorded multiple fatalities, especially near Panjapur and Trichy semi-ring road. "Enforcement must be intensified, and new infrastructure must be developed at vulnerable spots such as G Corner, Sanjeevi Nagar, and Panjapur junction. Penalizing offenders using ANPR cameras will prevent overspeeding and signal jumping violations," P Aiyarappan, member, district road safety council, said. The city police said that around 99,795 motor vehicles act cases were booked and Rs8.7 crore collected as penalties till May 2025. "We extensively focus on booking drunk and drive cases. Overspeeding and signal jumping violations are under our radar too," the senior police officer added.
Business Recorder
22-05-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
National Fiscal Pact
EDITORIAL: The formation of a high-level political committee to oversee the implementation of the National Fiscal Pact was, on paper, an essential step forward. With looming fiscal pressures and critical IMF targets at stake, the need for national consensus is urgent. But the committee's composition — conspicuously excluding the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa — has already compromised the credibility of what ought to have been a constitutional and inclusive exercise. The stakes are high. The fiscal pact, signed in September 2024, is not just another intergovernmental agreement. It is a structural reform benchmark agreed with the IMF, designed to rationalise federal and provincial expenditure responsibilities, devolve project financing, and ensure policy coherence in taxation. If implemented earnestly, it could improve public finance management and reduce unsustainable federal deficits. But for such structural reforms to take root, especially under the 18th Amendment, consensus across all federating units is not optional — it is a constitutional necessity. The exclusion of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from the newly-constituted eight-member oversight committee, therefore, would be incomplete both in letter and the spirit of the federal structure. No matter how noble the intent or pressing the deadline, excluding a province from decisions that directly affect its fiscal autonomy weakens national cohesion and risks turning a national reform into a partisan compact. If the goal is to build consensus on complex issues such as debt burden sharing, development financing, and water security — all of which require delicate negotiation and joint ownership — then leaving out any provincial government could be counterproductive. The committee's terms of reference include preparing budget proposals for both federal and provincial budgets within ten days. How can such input be complete or credible if one province is absent from the table? The matter becomes even more urgent considering the content of the new IMF staff-level report, which highlights that, starting in FY2026, all new Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) projects benefiting only one province must be financed directly from provincial budgets. This will inevitably require all provinces — KP included — to shoulder more fiscal responsibility. They deserve a voice in shaping how that responsibility is structured. There is also the matter of principle. If the Federation intends to pass on a portion of the Rs8.7 trillion debt servicing cost to provinces, as is being quietly discussed, then it must first establish a consensus through mechanisms that are both constitutional and participatory. The 18th Amendment has already redefined the contours of fiscal and administrative authority. Any effort to rebalance burdens and responsibilities must begin with a respect for that framework. Otherwise, not only will the reforms falter, but they will likely invite legal and political pushback that the economy can ill afford. The committee is also tasked with coordinating the development of critical water infrastructure — an area where KP is a key stakeholder. As Pakistan prepares to counter India's unlawful obstruction of its water share under the Indus Waters Treaty, national unity is vital. Excluding a frontline province from this strategic conversation can be described as a flawed decision, given the real import of the economic challenges facing the country. If the goal is to demonstrate fiscal discipline and political maturity to the IMF and international partners then the current path risks doing the opposite. The National Fiscal Pact will be judged not by the optics of a high-powered committee, but by the integrity and inclusiveness of its process. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
