Rajiv Rahadari hits another legal speed bump

The Telangana High Court has reportedly granted interim protection to property owners challenging land acquisition for the proposed Rajiv Rahadari elevated corridor, according to a September 3 report. The order, passed by Justice K. Sarath on August 24, directed the Telangana government, the Union government, defence authorities and Secunderabad Cantonment officials to file counters. The exact operative wording of the order is not publicly available in the material reviewed, so its precise scope remains unclear.

The proposed corridor would run from Paradise Junction to the Outer Ring Road junction at Shamirpet on State Highway 1. Hyderabad district records show that land-acquisition proceedings remain active, with preliminary notifications extended from November 26, 2025 to November 25, 2026. Separate rehabilitation and resettlement proceedings are also listed through November 25, 2026. The affected villages listed by the district administration are Thokatta, Kakaguda, Tirumalagiri and Machabollaram.

An earlier High Court order recorded administrative sanction of Rs 2,232 crore and HMDA’s instruction to begin acquisition under a transfer-of-development-rights basis. It also ordered authorities to issue notice and follow due process where petitioners’ rights were affected. The project has now acquired the familiar infrastructure formula: a grand corridor, several jurisdictions and land records running faster than construction. The Congress-led state government, the BJP-led Centre and defence authorities have yet to publicly explain what the latest order means for the acquisition schedule.