Property owners in the Secunderabad Cantonment area are severely distressed after receiving notices from the Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) on the triennial revision of property tax with effect from the beginning of Financial Year 2025-26, with revised demands showing increases ranging from 100% to more than 300% in several cases.The Rajiv Rahadari Property Owners’ Joint Action Committee (JAC) has termed the hike arbitrary and unjustified, saying it has left hundreds of the Cantonment residents in shock and financial anxiety. According to the residents, the tax revision notices were served last week.As part of the notice, the annual ratable value of properties has been reassessed and tax revised accordingly. “In accordance with the provisions of Section 80 of the Cantonments Act 2006, this office has re-assessed the property for the period 2025-26 to be effective from April 1, 2025,” said the notice issued by the Chief Executive Officer of the Secunderabad Cantonment Board.Residents speak on impactThe impact of the revision has been significant for many households. For Mahavir Prasad’s property in Kakaguda, the existing annual tax of ₹17,226 has been proposed to be increased to ₹54,420. Similarly, for P. Padmanabha Reddy’s property in Vasavi Colony, the tax has been revised from ₹36,288 to ₹86,184.Objections can be filedThe notice also provided residents an opportunity to file objections. “If you wish to raise any objections to the proposed assessment as above, an application should be made in writing within 30 days time. The objection should clearly state in what respect the valuation or assessment is disputed,” it said.On Saturday (January 17, 2026), members of the Rajiv Rahadari JAC met Malkajgiri MP Eatala Rajender and submitted a representation seeking his intervention. “The sudden and steep increase has come at a time when the Telangana government has initiated steps for road widening and the proposed elevated corridor of SH-1. Due to the uncertainty surrounding acquisition and demolition, most of the main road properties are already vacant, tenants are vacating and in many cases rents have been drastically reduced,” the representation said.Continue existing tax structureThe JAC further argued that under such circumstances, imposing an abnormal and retrospective hike in property tax is not only arbitrary but also inhumane. It has requested that the existing tax structure be continued until the road widening and elevated corridor project is completed and clarity is provided to the affected property owners.Calls and messages to Secunderabad Cantonment Board Chief Executive Officer, Arvind Kumar Dwivedi, seeking his response went unanswered till the time of filing this report.Published - January 17, 2026 01:28 pm IST