Hyderabad: The Medchal-Malkajgiri district collectorate has extended the deadline for issuing the land acquisition declaration for the Rajiv Rahadari elevated corridor from Paradise Junction to Shamirpet by one year, citing pending court cases and delays in the Rehabilitation and Resettlement (R&R) process. The preliminary notification for acquiring lands in Alwal, Machabollaram, Hakimpet (Devarayamjal), Pothaipally, and Thumukunta villages for the corridor on State Highway 1 was published in October 2024 and was due to lapse on October 24, 2025.
Thirteen writ petitions were subsequently filed in the Telangana High Court challenging the notification, following which the court issued status quo orders in several cases. With the legal process still underway and the draft R&R scheme awaiting approval from the commissioner of rehabilitation and resettlement, officials said the declaration under Section 19(1) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, could not be issued in time.
“The collector shall publish a summary of the Rehabilitation and Resettlement Scheme along with the declaration under Section 19(1). No declaration can be made until that process is complete,” the order stated, explaining the extension until October 24, 2026. The move follows months of representations and peaceful protests, including those led by the Rajiv Rahadari Property Owners Joint Action Committee (JAC), which has been urging the government to reconsider the project’s alignment and acquisition process.
“The extension is not a victory but a window of relief. It allows time for fair dialogue and a lawful resolution,” said JAC chairman Telukunta Satish Gupta, who has been leading the group’s petitions and follow-ups with the administration. Advocate Srikanth Gollapelli, who represented several petitioners, said the decision highlights how collective legal action can work within the system. “Hundreds of families were anxious about losing their homes. The order gives them temporary protection and a chance to be heard,” he said.
The Rajiv Rahadari corridor, connecting Paradise in Secunderabad to Shamirpet along State Highway 1, is one of the key road projects planned under the Strategic Road Development Programme (SRDP). With the extension, the acquisition and R&R processes are likely to remain on hold for another year until the High Court cases and administrative clearances are resolved.
