HYDERABAD: The Core Urban Region (Integrated Governance) Act, 2026, which came into force on October 2, replacing the 70-year-old GHMC Act, will enable automatic property mutation, a single municipal bill and a unified portal for the Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Malkajgiri municipal corporations, official sources said on Sunday.
At present, property buyers have to visit various offices to get their properties mutated after registration. Under the new Act, mutation will be done automatically once registration is completed.
Officials will assign an identity code to every property, linked to the respective municipal office. Details of property tax, water bills, sewage charges and other dues will be provided through a single bill called ‘Cure-1’. Other municipal services, permissions and licences can be obtained through a single portal.
The chief minister introduced several key changes through the new Act. The Cure Apex Governance Council, chaired by the chief minister, will prioritise city development plans. Officials from all three corporations, along with police, revenue, HMDA, Water Board, electricity, Metro, RTC and HYDRAA representatives, will jointly deliberate and finalise development plans under the council.
However, the boundaries of the three corporations will remain unchanged. The mayor, deputy mayor, standing committee, commissioner and ward committees will continue as before, with their terms remaining five years.
Property tax for properties measuring up to 375 sq ft will continue at `101. For other residential properties, the respective corporations will fix the tax, ranging from 0.1% to 0.5%. The tax for non-residential properties will range from 0.2% to 2%.
Until new property tax rates are finalised, residential properties will continue to be taxed at 0.15%, while the rate for non-residential properties will remain at 0.75%. Once the new rates come into effect, the annual increase will not exceed 10%. For instance, a person currently paying `10,000 in property tax will pay a maximum of `11,000 in the first year of implementation, officials explained.
HYDRAA gets more teeth
Building permissions will be issued online. If officials fail to approve an application within the stipulated period, it will be deemed to have been approved. The government will notify ‘night economy zones’, while the licensing system will also be simplified. Under the existing Act, officials could file criminal cases even for minor violations. Under the new Act, they will first issue a show-cause notice and subsequently decide whether to impose a penalty.
The Act also seeks to improve coordination among departments and prevent roads from being dug up soon after they are laid. Traffic management will be handled by the Cure Traffic and Road Safety Authority. Special focus will be placed on footpaths, pedestrian crossings, curb ramps, and street and traffic signal lights. Safe zones will be demarcated near schools, officials said.
The Act prohibits the discharge of polluted waste or drainage water into tanks, nalas, water bodies, parks or open spaces. HYDRAA will be given greater powers to take action against the violators. Hefty fines will be imposed on those dumping construction waste into nalas, tanks or on footpaths.
Those undertaking water conservation measures and adopting environmentally friendly practices will be eligible for property tax discounts.
The Cure Disaster Management Authority will be established for the entire Core Urban Region and will coordinate with HYDRAA. Fire audits will be mandatory for high-rise buildings, while action will be taken against dangerous buildings. The Act will also give greater importance to CCTV surveillance.
It will provide amenities for women, trans persons, persons with disabilities, children and the elderly. A gender-inclusive cell will be established, and trans persons will be co-opted into each corporation.
