Hyderabad CURE Bill 2026 Grants Citizens More Power on Building Permits

The Core Urban Region (Integrated Governance) Bill, 2026, also known as the CURE Bill, has been introduced in Hyderabad to grant citizens more authority on building permits, enhance municipal services, and establish night economy zones. The new legislation aims to improve the standard of living, particularly for the urban poor, while introducing a framework for automatic permit approvals and a Gender Inclusion Cell.

Under the provisions of the CURE Bill, building permit approvals will be streamlined to prevent files from being left in cold storage. Currently, despite the existence of BuildNow—a Building and Layout Approval System featuring a fast scrutiny module—some files remain pending because officers fail to process them.

The new bill addresses this by mandating that if a concerned officer does not make a decision within the stipulated processing time, the application will automatically escalate to the next higher officer. If the senior officer still fails to process the file or communicate a decision, provisions for deemed approval will apply. In such cases, the applicant may issue a notice to the Commissioner to claim deemed approval.

These governance enhancements will come alongside an increase in property tax assessments. To manage this, the bill introduces a Unique Property Identification Number (UPIN) for every property in Hyderabad, alongside a simplified single trade licence for all businesses.

To boost urban economic activity, the bill introduces night economy zones. These designated areas aim to promote employment, tourism, economic activity, and vibrancy in the city's urban areas.

The legislation also establishes a Gender Inclusion Cell. This cell will collect data and conduct research to adopt an evidence-based approach towards making the core urban region safer and more inclusive for women and transgender persons.

While the CURE Bill introduces several new components, it retains some common features with the GHMC Act, 1995. These include the Standing Committee, the functioning pattern of urban local bodies, and ward committees.

Other features of the bill include real-time multi-agency monitoring, emergency coordination, a strict ban on manual scavenging, and a unified digital portal for all municipal services. It also establishes separate cells dedicated to traffic management, environment protection, food safety, and disaster response.