The parents of IFS officer P. Srinivas, who was killed by forest brigand Veerappan in 1991, were on Tuesday given a cheque towards their son's salary arrears of Rs. 33.82 lakh and a Bangalore Development Authority site measuring 60 X 40 ft.
The cheque and the possession certificate of the site allotted at Jnana Bharathi First Block were presented to the elderly couple from Andhra Pradesh by Forest Minister C.H. Vijayashankar at the valedictory of a workshop on medicinal plants here.
Forest Department officials explained that there was a legal problem on who should get such benefits as Mr. Srinivas was in the process of getting separated from his wife when he was killed. However, the issue had been settled with his mother, P. Jayalakshmi, getting the right over such benefits.
Considering this as a special case, the State Government, through a notification dated March 18, 2004, had ordered a monthly payment of Rs. 4,075 — the last drawn salary of Mr. Srinivas — to his mother till the official's retirement date of August 31, 2013, if he were to be alive or till his mother is alive (whichever is earlier). Accordingly, a cheque for Rs. 33.82 lakh was given to Ms. Jayalakshmi on Tuesday as arrears from November 10, 1991, to December 31, 2010. The late official's father, P. Anantha Rao, and his sister were also present.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Rao said they were very proud of their son's bravery and commitment to work. Pointing out that Srinivas was awarded Keerthi Chakra posthumously by the Centre, he said the fact that November 10, the day on which their son was killed, was being observed as Forest Martyrs' Day was a fitting tribute to their son who laid down his life to protect the State's forest resources.
Praise
The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests B.K. Singh recalled how Mr. Srinivas got trapped by Veerappan and was killed. “I have got an emotional association with Srinivas as I carried his beheaded body after the incident. There is no parallel to Srinivas in the Forest Department,” he said.
Hailing the sacrifice of Srinivas, Mr. Vijayashankar said he had decided to show respect to the families of martyrs in the Forest Department by inviting them every year to Forest Martyrs' Day. He also announced that the department would conduct the last rites of its martyrs with full official honours as a mark of respect to them.
