CURE model to ensure sustainable and equitable growth in rapidly urbanising Telangana

The State government has resolved to operationalise the Core Urban Region Economy (CURE) model to ensure sustainable and equitable growth as Telangana was urbanising rapidly and urban population is likely to reach 53.8% by 2031.

The government has trifurcated the GHMC into three separate entities as the restructuring would enable closer supervision of civic services, quicker grievance redressal, improved infrastructure planning and more balanced urban growth. The measure is aimed at strengthening democratic decentralisation by bringing urban governance closer to people in the true spirit of 74^th amendment. “The government also intends to put in place a statutory framework by enacting the CURE Act which will replace the GHMC Act bringing multiple agencies like HMWS&SB and HYDRAA under a unified framework,” Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla said in his maiden address to the joint sitting of the Telangana legislature on Monday.

Explaining how the HYDRAA reclaimed 1,045 acres of urban assets like public land and water bodies valued at ₹60,000 crore, he said steps had been initiated to revitalise the city’s ecological corridor through Musi Riverfront Transformation Project aimed at providing drinking water to CURE area and supply of treated water to data centres and other industrial use. He also mentioned about the efforts to make Kodangal, the Chief Minister’s native constituency, as a multi-product industrial park.

The government’s prime focus was to enhance connectivity and improve mobility between the Outer Ring Road and the upcoming Regional Ring Road through radial roads to facilitate smoother traffic movement and support the growing economic activity of the region. A greenfield Hyderabad-Amaravati expressway passing through Future City had been taken up to strengthen regional connectivity and faster movement of people and goods while steps were initiated to develop Shamshabad as a hub for bullet trains following the Centre’s announcement of three high-speed trains.

Sector wise, the Governor explained about the achievement of record 236.87 lakh metric tonnes food grain production and procurement of 71.86 lakh metric tonnes paddy from farmers which entailed a bonus of ₹500 per quintal for sanna biyyam (fine rice). He also explained about the spree of welfare measures like issue of new ration cards to eligible families and the steps taken for empowerment of women by the present government like Mahalakshmi for free bus travel and Gruha Lakshmi 200 units power free of cost to Below Poverty Line families. “This will help achieve the objective of one crore women being made crorepatis through Koti Mahila Kotiswarulu,” he said.