Telangana Govt to give HYDRAA more powers under CURE law
HYDERABAD: The Telangana government plans to grant statutory powers to the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) under a new law titled CURE, aimed at strengthening protection of government land and public assets.
Government plans statutory powers for HYDRAA operations
HYDRAA, set up to safeguard public properties, currently operates with limited authority and relies on coordination with departments such as revenue and municipal administration.
The government has now decided to give the agency direct legal powers. Officials said the upcoming CURE law will grant HYDRAA greater autonomy and enforcement authority.
A draft of the proposed legislation is expected to be introduced during the upcoming budget session of the Telangana Assembly.
Agency may issue notices and carry out demolitions
At present, HYDRAA requires approval from revenue or municipal authorities before issuing notices or demolishing illegal structures.
Officials said the lack of coordination among departments sometimes allows encroachers time to obtain court stays.
To address this, the new law proposes to authorise HYDRAA to identify encroachments, issue notices directly and conduct demolitions after the stipulated deadline without waiting for approvals from other departments.
The law will clearly define the areas under HYDRAA’s jurisdiction.
Dedicated police units and enforcement powers planned
The government is also considering provisions to strengthen fire safety enforcement under the same legislation.
Officials said the plan is to transform HYDRAA from a coordinating agency into a dedicated enforcement system. The agency may get special police stations, officers authorised to conduct legal inquiries and technical teams.
This will allow HYDRAA to act directly against encroachments on lakes, drains and parks without waiting for orders from other departments.
The government aims to secure legislative approval for the bill during the Assembly session and implement it immediately.
Officials believe that once HYDRAA receives statutory backing, encroachers will find it harder to obtain court relief.
The new system will operate across the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) area as well as Cyberabad and Malkajgiri municipal corporations.
