SCB Rolls Back Property Tax Hike For Owners Along Rahadari
Property owners along Rajiv Rahadari have finally received relief, with the Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) deciding to suspend its recent move to nearly double property taxes
Hyderabad: Property owners along Rajiv Rahadari have finally received relief, with the Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) deciding to suspend its recent move to nearly double property taxes. The rollback, which applies to both residential and commercial units along the arterial stretch, comes as businesses struggle with steep losses and tenants vacating due to ongoing road-widening works.
The revision in September had raised property tax rates by almost 100 per cent — from an average of `4 to `8 per square foot for commercial buildings — and by nearly 70 per cent for residential properties.
The sudden increase drew sharp criticism from local traders and property owners, who argued that it came at a time when the widening of the 12-km Rajiv Rahadari stretch from Paradise to Hakimpet had already disrupted access, reduced footfall, and forced several tenants to vacate.
Many owners said they were unable to meet even basic maintenance expenses as rental income had plummeted. “The widening has made access difficult, and many shops remain vacant. With hardly 20 to 30 per cent of the usual rent coming in, doubling the tax made no sense,” said Mohammed Mukharram, a property owner from Bowenpally.
A shopkeeper at Balamrai added, “We obviously have to pay tax, but it has to be practical. Right now, it feels like we’re being punished for a problem we didn’t cause.”
SCB chief executive officer Madhukar Naik has instructed departments to halt the implementation of the revised tax until the completion of the road-widening works. “It is not the right time to burden owners when commercial activity is already affected. The revised rates will be reviewed later,” an SCB official told Deccan Chronicle.
The widening of Rajiv Rahadari, also known as State Highway 1, is part of the Secunderabad development plan to ease traffic flow towards Karimnagar and Medchal. Nearly 260 properties are affected by the project, with several buildings already losing frontage or being partially demolished to make way for the 150-foot carriageway.
Officials said that once the ongoing works are completed, the Board will reassess tax rates based on new property valuations and infrastructure improvements in the area. Until then, the previous rates will remain in effect.
The decision has brought some respite to hundreds of property owners who have been facing both structural and financial stress. For now, they hope that once the widened road opens, business activity and stability will return — before any fresh tax revisions are considered.
