CURE Bill could be better, says NGO
The NGO Janaagraha has criticized the Core Urban Region (Integrated Governance) Bill, 2026, for prioritizing government and commissioner authority over public participation. The organization suggests that while the bill is a step forward for metropolitan governance, it lacks sufficient clarity and democratic engagement.
Why it matters
Urban governance legislation dictates how major cities are managed, and the balance between bureaucratic control and citizen input is a key issue in modern urban planning.
The entire Core Urban Region (Integrated Governance) Bill, 2026 has the words ‘Consultation’ appearing seven times, ‘Participation’ five times, and ‘Accountability’ only once. In contrast, the word ‘Government’ appears 475 times and ‘Commissioner’ 780 times. The word ‘Public’ appears 290 times, but only as passive recipient, not as active participant, says Janaagraha, a voluntary organisation’s presentation, putting the 271-page Bill in a nutshell.
Addressing a press meet on Tuesday, representatives of the organisation, Anita Kumar, V.R. Vachana and Srikara Prasad, who were members of the study team, explained how they ranked the CURE Bill in comparison with its predecessor Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Act, 1955, and the recently promulgated Greater Bengaluru Governance Act, 2024.
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