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The Telangana government's proposed Core Urban Region (CURE) Bill falls short of similar legislation enacted in Bengaluru, according to urban governance advocacy group Janaagraha. Addressing a press conference at Hyderabad's Somajiguda Press Club on Tuesday, July 21, the organisation shared its assessment of the draft legislation, which was released for public consultation on July 5.
If enacted, the CURE Bill will replace the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) Act, 1955, which has governed Hyderabad's civic administration for more than seven decades.
Speaking at the press conference, Janaagraha's Director of Policy and Insights, Anita Kumar, said that while the proposed legislation is an improvement over the GHMC Act, it still lags behind the Greater Bengaluru Governance (GBG) Act, 2024. According to Janaagraha's assessment, the draft CURE Bill scored 28% on key parameters of robust metropolitan governance, compared with 38% for the GBG Act.
While the organisation welcomed provisions related to transparency and improved property tax assessment, it said the bill does not provide the accountable metropolitan governance that Hyderabad requires.
"The power rests chiefly with the Commissioner instead of being decentralised to councillors and the mayor. This is particularly concerning given that Hyderabad has had four municipal commissioners between 2023 and 2025. There is also very little power vested in corporators or the mayor, making it difficult for them to bring about meaningful change," said Anita Kumar.
Anita also said the bill lacked adequate safeguards to ensure that provisions relating to real-time governance and digital monitoring would function effectively.
"The bill also does not account for long-term financial planning or provide a framework for building the capacity of municipal staff. Perhaps the biggest concern is the absence of an ombudsman to investigate complaints of municipal maladministration," she added.
"Ward committees with dedicated powers and funds for neighbourhood planning and development are a must," said Janaagraha CEO Srikanth Viswanathan. He added that the proposed framework concentrates authority in the office of the Commissioner while leaving councillors with limited powers.
Janaagraha has recommended several amendments to the draft legislation, including a unified planning framework, greater clarity on the roles of the 15 new authorities proposed under the Bill, stronger capacity-building measures, enhanced powers for mayors and ward committees, and clear enforcement mechanisms to strengthen urban governance.
