People Object To Higher Taxes, Charges In CURE Bill, Seek Rollback
Our executive committee unanimously resolved that it does not support the CURE-2026 Bill, as it is now,” said members of Federation of Gated Communities Cyberabad (FGCC).
Hyderabad: Higher property tax and higher water and sewerage charges were the key points of contention for people in the draft CURE 2026 Bill, which was available for public consultation till July 24. People also objected to the introduction of a single app for the payment of all civic utilities and also red-flagged the lack of participation by resident welfare associations (RWAs), non-existence of ward committees, and lack of accountability and auditing.
Absence of financial autonomy for zonal commissioners (ZCs) and deputy commissioners (DCs), and the government acquiring powers to suspend resolutions passed by civic bodies and to dissolve corporations are the other major concerns raised by some associations.
“On behalf of the Federation of Gated Communities Cyberabad, representing residents across the region, we respectfully submit our feedback. Our executive committee unanimously resolved that it does not support the CURE-2026 Bill, as it is now,” said members of Federation of Gated Communities Cyberabad (FGCC).
On the property tax, the residents said that they are not sure whether the tax will be based on the market value or as per the sale deed. “When we enquired about the property tax assessment, we were informed that officials will evaluate it. If the sale deed is taken into consideration, the property tax will not be uniform, and it will be an injustice,” said Dr Sai Ravi Shanker, the president of FGCC.
United Federation of Resident Welfare Associations (U-FERWAS) urged the government to re-examine the provisions in consultation with elected representatives, Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs), urban planning experts and other stakeholders.
“We request the government to amend the Bill to strengthen Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) rather than centralising powers. The authorities should ensure that no additional financial burden is imposed on citizens without adequate safeguards and public consultation,” said B.T. Srinivasan, general secretary, U-FERWAS.
In addition to rolling back the hike in taxes, the residents also sought accountability for contractors, who execute shoddy civic works, and demanded a third-party audit in a transparent manner, which should be kept in the public domain.
“The CURE Bill is good as Hyderabad is totally different now compared to decades ago when the GHMC Act was formulated, but the higher taxes are a concern,” said one of the residents.