KCR announces Rs 5 Cr, a house and G-1 job to widow of Col Santhosh Babu

Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister K ChandraShekar Rao to personally visit the family of Colonel B Santhosh Babu and present an ex-gratia of Rs 5 Crore, a plot and a state-government job of group-1 rank, to the widow of the commanding officer. Besides this, KCR announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each to the 19 soldiers.

Colonel B Santhosh Babu and 19 Indian Army soldiers were killed-in-action during the violent India-China face-off in Galwan valley of Ladakh. The Commanding officer representing the 16 Bihar regiment, who took charge in December 2019, is a native of Suryapet district of Telangana.

“The entire country should stand by the Military personnel guarding our borders. We have to support those martyred in their line of duty and help personnel’s family members. With such acts, one should instill self-confidence among the army personnel and security to the family members. We have to send a message that the entire country is with them. The Central government extends help to those martyred. But the states should also to extend their help. It is only then that the army personnel and their family members would have confidence that the country is standing by them. Exhibit the symbol of unity. Though there are problems with the Corona Virus, one should cut expenditure somewhere and work for welfare of the defence forces,” the CM said this while interacting in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s video-conference.

Besides this, the kin of commanding officer is entitled for an Ex-gratia of Rs. 35 Lakhs from the central government, compensation of Rs 8 lakh by Directorate of Indian Army Veterans.

"The widow of the colonel is entitled to get a liberalized family pension, that is, equivalent to the pay drawn by the officer if he were in service till the period of his entitled service. Besides this, reimbursement of tution fee, books, uniform, etc for education of children, Computer grant for wards & widows, Marriage grant for daughters. They are also accorded preference in allotment of LPG/Petrol outlet" said a Army officer.