Hyderabad: Hundreds of residents and property owners affected by the proposed Rajiv Rahadari road-widening project staged a one-day protest at the Ambedkar Statue in Karkhana on Tuesday, demanding fair compensation for their properties and livelihoods.The Rajiv Rahadari Property Owners’ Joint Action Committee (JAC) said it supported the road-widening project but demanded that compensation reflect the actual value of the properties being acquired.The JAC questioned why the acquisition process was being advanced when the detailed project report (DPR) was yet to be finalised. It also sought clarity on the proposed alignment, road width, affected properties and compensation. The committee alleged that some property owners had received calls from officials urging them to accept the proposed compensation.The JAC demanded that compensation be calculated in the same ratio as the settlement reached with property owners in Thumkunta.Pravin C, a resident of Vikrampuri, said the govt value in Thumkunta was around Rs 10,600 per square yard, while affected property owners there received around Rs 1 lakh per square yard.“In comparison, the govt value in the affected areas was around Rs 55,000 per square yard, while the proposed compensation was Rs 1.41 lakh,” he said.“Our livelihood is based on this property. If the entire property goes, our livelihood goes with it,” Pravin said, adding that fair compensation would enable affected families to purchase alternative properties or start other businesses.Aarti Chacko, who owns a commercial building in the vicinity, said the proposed compensation of Rs 1.41 lakh per square yard was inadequate, as prevailing market rates in the area exceeded Rs 4 lakh per square yard.Residents said they had initially sought a reduction in the proposed road width from 200 feet to 150 feet but later accepted the 200-foot proposal. They said they now wanted the govt to hold discussions with affected property owners and revise the compensation accordingly.
