Telangana passes CURE Bill to make Hyderabad a Global-Standard City

The legislation seeks to replace the existing fragmented system of civic administration with a coordinated structure covering the Core Urban Region up to the Outer Ring Road. The government has argued that rapid population growth and expansion of the metropolitan area require infrastructure and civic services to be planned at a regional level.

The Bill provides for greater coordination of services including roads, water supply, drainage, sanitation, waste management and urban infrastructure. It also envisages mechanisms for unified service delivery and digital governance across the region.

Industries and IT Minister D Sridhar Babu said the government wants to develop Hyderabad as a blue and green city capable of meeting the requirements of the next three decades. He said the objective is to make Hyderabad capable of competing with leading international cities.

One of the major changes introduced during the Assembly debate was a reduction in the proposed annual ceiling on property-tax revision from 20% to 10%, following concerns raised by legislators. The government said the new system would shift property-tax calculation towards capital value rather than the existing annual rental-value approach in GHMC areas.

The legislation has also attracted criticism from sections of citizens, resident associations and urban-development experts, who have raised concerns over taxation, centralisation of municipal powers and the role of elected local representatives.

The government, however, maintains that the new framework is essential for Hyderabad's long-term transformation into a globally competitive metropolitan region.