Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday handed over Rs 5 crore compensation cheque, the highest ex-gratia announced by any state government, to the family of martyred Colonel-rank officer Santosh Babu who was among the 20 Army personnel martyred in the Chinese aggression in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley.

The Telangana CM also handed over documents of a house plot in Shaikpet measuring 570 square yards to the family members of Santosh Babu. Separately, KCR also handed over a letter appointing Santosh Babu’s wife Santoshini as Group I officer in Telangana government.

The Telangana Chief Minister also paid floral tributes to the martyred Colonel-rank officer Santosh Babu and consoled the family members at their residence in Suryapet..

KCR was accompanied by energy minister Guntakandla Jagadish Reddy and Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar. KCR travelled by road from Hyderabad and reached Suryapet at around 4 pm. Ahead of the CM KCR visit, minister Jagadish Reddy had already met the family members of the Santosh Babu and informed them about the CM’s visit to their home.

Colonel Santosh Babu, a commanding Officer of the Bihar Regiment manning the LAC at Galwan Valley in Ladakh, was among 20 soldiers martyred in a hand-to-hand combat with the Chinese troops last week.