Hyderabad, Jun 22 (IANS): Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao on Monday visited the family of Colonel B. Santosh Babu, martyred in a clash with Chinese troops in Ladakh on June 15, consoled them, and handed over the cheques for ex gratia announced by the state for the family.

Rao reached Suryapet by road to visit the officer's house. He handed over a cheque for Rs 4 crore to the Colonel's wife Santoshi and cheque for another Rs 1 crore to his parents, who requested for the amount to be deposited for their granddaughter.

The Chief Minister also handed over to Santoshi the letter of her appointment to Group-1 job in the state, and documents on the allotment of a house site measuring 711 square yards in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad.

KCR, as the Chief Minister is popularly known, paid floral tributes to Santosh Babu. He then met the late officer's father Upender, who introduced the family members. KCR offered his condolences to the family.

The Colonel is survived by his father, mother Manjula, wife Santoshi, daughter Abhigna,9, and son Anirudh, 4.

The Chief Minister said that he was pained at the Colonel's death and assured his government's support to the family and to contact him should they need any assistance.

KCR was accompanied by Ministers G Jagadish Reddy, Vemula Prashanth Reddy, Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar and other officials.

Later, Santoshi said the Chief Minister told her that the government will appoint her in the department of her choice.

KCR had announced the package for Santosh Babu's family on June 19. He also announced that the state through the Defence Ministry would give Rs 10 lakh each to the families of 19 other killed soldiers who hailed from various states.

Meanwhile, Jagdish Reddy told reporters that a bronze statue of Colonel Santosh Babu will be installed at a traffic junction in the town and the area renamed after him.