Telangana Government Drafts Comprehensive CURE Act to Streamline Hyderabad's Urban Governance
The Telangana government is actively drafting a comprehensive Core Urban Region (CURE) Act, a landmark legislative initiative designed to streamline and unify governance within Hyderabad's Outer Ring Road (ORR) area. This proposed legislation aims to bring much-needed uniformity to critical civic policies, including property tax regulations, advertisement and parking norms, and building rules across the rapidly developing urban core.
Addressing Governance Gaps Post-Administrative Trifurcation
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy recently directed officials to develop the CURE Act to address significant governance gaps that have emerged following the trifurcation of Hyderabad's civic administration. Currently, the city operates under the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) Act of 2007. However, the creation of the Cyberabad and Malkajgiri municipal corporations—formed by merging 27 surrounding municipalities and gram panchayats within the ORR—has resulted in multiple, often conflicting, civic laws being in force simultaneously.
Officials highlight that different Acts govern municipal corporations and municipalities, leading to substantial variations in revenue collection methods, advertisement policies, parking regulations, and building standards. For instance, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board's jurisdiction remains limited to GHMC areas, creating service disparities. The proposed CURE Act seeks to harmonize these differences and extend uniform applicability to all civic and enforcement agencies, including police commissionerates, operating within the core urban region.
Integrating Key Agencies Under a Single Legal Framework
The proposed legislation will integrate the functions of several newly formed and existing agencies under a cohesive legal framework. This includes the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA), the Musi River Development Corporation, and the Hyderabad Road Development Corporation. A senior municipal administration official noted that while HYDRAA's jurisdiction extends up to the ORR for disaster management and protection of government lands and lakes, it currently lacks a dedicated legal framework defining its roles and responsibilities.
"The new Act will clearly define HYDRAA's roles and responsibilities," the official stated. The government is reportedly consulting extensively with NALSAR University of Law and key departments, including GHMC, the water board, Telangana State Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (TSSPDCL), Hyderabad Road Development Corporation, and traffic police, to draft a robust and effective legislation.
Proposed Structural Changes and Coordination Mechanisms
The CURE Act may also facilitate the transfer of certain roads currently maintained by the state's roads and buildings department to municipal corporations, excluding national highways. Furthermore, the Act proposes the establishment of a dedicated coordination body to address long-standing inter-departmental gaps among various civic agencies, aiming to improve efficiency and service delivery.
If cleared by the state cabinet, the government plans to introduce the CURE Bill in the upcoming Assembly session. This legislative move represents a significant step towards creating a more integrated, efficient, and uniform governance structure for Hyderabad's core urban region, potentially setting a precedent for urban administration in other rapidly expanding Indian cities.
