More than 5,000 properties have been acquired/earmarked in the city during the past two decades for various road development projects. All the acquisitions have been for road widening requirements in relation to several projects.

Between 2007 and 2026, a total 5,231 properties have been acquired by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, for various projects including Hyderabad Metro Rail, Strategic Road Development Plan, Charminar Pedestrianisation Project, road development by joining the missing links, junction improvements, and the latest Hyderabad City Innovative and Transformative Infrastructure project.

This count does not include, but is set to rise manifold after the Musi Riverfront Development Project takes off, as it involves acquisition of over 10,000 properties in the river bed and buffer areas.

Hyderabad Metro Rail takes the cake both in the number of properties acquired and in the completion of the road widening works.

A total 2,024 properties, accounting for 39% of the total, were acquired on the three Metro Rail corridors, to facilitate laying the railway lines. While a total 29 roads were to be taken up for widening, 25 of them have been completed.

Work has not been as fast paced for other projects though. While 1,655 properties were earmarked for general GHMC road widening on 65 stretches, the work could be completed only on 13 stretches.

With regard to SRDP taken up since 2016, a total 882 properties have been acquired, for widening of 31 stretches, but only 13 stretches have been actually widened.

Missing links project involved development of new alternative corridors by completing the gap between two different stretches, so as to reduce the congestion on the main thoroughfares. Majority of these stretches were taken up on the Western part of the city, now bundled under the Cyberabad Municipal Corporation. A total 330 properties were acquired on 38 stretches, of which only 13 stretches were completed.

Of the 125 stretches taken up under junction improvement projects involving acquisition of 34 properties, only one could be completed. A total 167 properties have been lined up for H-CITI project, for which negotiations are still underway.

Before 1982, property acquisition for the road widening works would be taken up by the Engineering section which later was transferred to the Town Planning. Approved Master Plan would be the basis for taking up road works, and the payment of compensation was meagre, fixed at ₹130 per square foot plus 30% solatium apart from value for structure as per the Roads & Buildings schedule. Even this compensation would not be paid if the owner opted for building permission relaxations in lieu of compensation, officials informed.

For property owners, the situation started looking up only after the arrival of Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. In 2012 as part of the building rules, Transferable Development Rights policy was brought in to reduce the burden of property acquisition costs.