Hyderabad, Jul 22 (IANS): The Telangana government on Wednesday appointed the widow of Colonel B. Santosh Babu, who was killed in the clash with Chinese troops in Ladakh last month, as a Deputy Collector.

Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao handed over the appointment letter to Santoshi at Pragathi Bhavan, the official residence of the Chief Minister.

He instructed officials concerned to post Santoshi in Hyderabad or its surrounding areas. He also asked his Secretary Smita Sabharwal to be with Santoshi till she gets the proper training and settles down in her job.

KCR, as the Chief Minister is popularly known, had lunch with 20 of the family members of Santoshi who accompanied her to Pragathi Bhavan. He enquired about their well-being and assured that the government would always stand by Santosh Babu's family.

It was exactly a month before that KCR had visited the family of Santosh Babu in Suryapet town to console his parents and other family members and handed over Rs 5 crore as ex gratia.

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

Meanwhile, officials were busy making arrangements to handover the land to the family. Hyderabad Collector Shweta Mohanty and other officials inspected the land which is to be handed over to the martyr's family.

Santosh Babu and 19 other other soldiers were killed in the clashes with Chinese troops in Galwan Valley of Ladakh on June 15.

The colonel is survived by his wife, a nine-year-old daughter and a four-year-old son.