Andhra Pradesh announces Rs 50 lakh for slain soldier's family

Amaravati, May 11 (IANS) The Andhra Pradesh government on Sunday announced Rs 50 lakh ex gratia for the family of Army jawan M. Murali Naik, who was killed during the cross-border firing by the Pakistani forces along the Line of Control.

The state government also announced five acres of land and a 300 square yard house site for the family. It also decided to give job to a member of the family.

The announcements were made by Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan after paying last respects to the jawan at Kallithanda hamlet of Gorantla mandal in Sri Sathya Sai district.

The Jana Sena leader also personally announced Rs 25 lakh assistance for Murali Naik's family.

The Deputy CM laid a wreath and paid homage to the martyred soldier. He also consoled the family of the 25-year-old jawan.

The actor-politician assured the family that the state and the Central governments would extend all possible assistance to them.

Pawan Kalyan said a bronze statue of Murali Naik would be installed in the district headquarters.

Home Minister V. Anitha and Human Resources Development Minister Nara Lokesh also paid their last respects to Murali Naik. Lokesh assured all support to his family.

The mortal remains of Murali Naik reached his home on Saturday. The body first arrived at Bengaluru Airport, where it was received by BC Welfare Minister S. Savitha.

Later, the slain soldier's body was shifted to Gorantla in a military convoy. En route to Naik's village, hundreds of people paid tributes by showering petals. The people, holding the Indian flag, were raising slogans of 'Murali Naik amar rahe'.

Murali Naik, an Agniveer, was martyred in the firing by Pakistani forces along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir on the night of May 8.

Naik, who hailed from a poor agricultural family of the tribal hamlet, was posted along the tense LoC in Jammu and Kashmir when the Pakistan Army resorted to ceasefire violations, launching heavy artillery and mortar attacks, post India's 'Operation Sindoor'.

Murali was the only son of Mudavath Sriram Naik and Mudavath Jyothi Bai, both working as agricultural labourers in Gorantla mandal.

In the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, two persons from Andhra Pradesh were among 26 tourists shot dead by terrorists. JC Chandra Mouli (68) was a retired banker from Visakhapatnam, and S. Madhusudan (45) was a software engineer from Nellore district.

--IANS

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