Martyred Army officer’s wife appointed Deputy Collector

Naveen S Garewal

Tribune News Service

Hyderabad, July 22

The wife of martyred Colonel Santosh Babu was appointed to the post of Deputy Collector (Group-I) by Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR) on Wednesday.

The Chief Minister handed over the appointment order to Santhoshi at his Pragathi Bhavan camp office and residence.

KCR has also issued instructions that Santhoshi be posted at Hyderabad or its surrounding areas.

Santhoshi and her family were invited by the Chief Minister for lunch on Wednesday after which he handed over the letter of appointment to her.

She will work with the CMO Secretary Smita Sabharwal till she completes her training and settles down in her new job.

Col Santosh Babu, 37, was a resident of Telangana’s Suryapet and sacrificed his life while leading a Bihar Regiment platoon during the clash with Chinese troops in Ladakh’s Galvan valley on the night June 15.

About 20 members of Colonel Babu’s family visited Pragathi Bhavan and interacted with the Chief Minister who in turn inquired about their wellbeing.

Some ministers, Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar, DGP M Mahender Reddy and Chief Advisor Rajiv Sharma were also present on the occasion.  

Earlier, Hyderabad District Collector Swetha Mohanty handed over the documents of a plot measuring 711 square yards to the family of the martyred officer.

The plot is located opposite KBR Park on Road No 14 in Banjara Hills. Earlier, the family had also been provided Rs 5 crore assistance.

Colonel Babu was an alumnus of 105 course of National Defence Academy. He joined the Army in 2004 and had served in Kashmir, and Arunachal Pradesh along with Pakistan and Chinese borders.

According to reports, Babu killed three infiltrators in an operation along the Line of Actual Control before making the supreme sacrifice.