200 Property Owners Protest Against Rajiv Rahadari Extension

Hyderabad: Over 200 property owners in the Cantonment area staged a protest against the proposed widening of Rajiv Rahadari (State Highway-1) from 100 to 200 feet, intended for the planned elevated corridor between Gymkhana and the Outer Ring Road (ORR) junctions. The Rajiv Rahadari is a crucial link connecting Hyderabad with northern Telangana districts.

Telukunta Satish Gupta, chairman of the Rajiv Rahadari Property Owners’ Joint Action Committee, said, “This plan will destroy homes and shops that have stood for decades. The government must maintain the width at 100 feet and provide fair compensation.”

The committee submitted a representation to local MP Etela Rajender and local MLA Ganesh, outlining five key demands: restricting the road width, offering compensation at five times the open-market value, limiting the elevated corridor to the ORR, rolling back the 100 per cent property tax hike, and ensuring one government job per affected family.

“Several of us have already lost tenants, and businesses are collapsing because no one knows what’s next. The uncertainty is worse than the project itself,” said Girish Manchesi, a shop owner from Bowenpally.

Police had detained Gupta in July during a demonstration near the Chief Minister’s convoy, though he was released later the same day. Property owners claim that over 1,000 structures are now at risk. “Our lives are on pause,” said another resident. “We can’t renovate, rent, or sell. Everything’s frozen.”

Following petitions from affected owners, the Telangana High Court issued a six-week stay in August, directing authorities to maintain the status quo. Resident groups, along with the Confederation of Residents’ Welfare Associations (CoRWA), have urged the government to re-evaluate the project’s design. “A well-planned corridor can serve commuters without uprooting communities,” said a CoRWA representative.

“We just want development that respects the people who live here,” Gupta said. “Not one that erases them.”