Hyderabad: The Chandrababu Naidu-led government has decided to grant property tax exemption to houses belonging to all defence personnel living within gram panchayat limits in the state, Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister in-charge of Panchayat Raj and Rural Development, Pawan Kalyan, said in a post on X.
The exemption, limited to retired Army personnel or those serving on the borders, has now been extended to all active defence personnel, irrespective of posting. The exemption will apply to one house jointly owned or occupied by the personnel or their spouse.
Kalyan added that the “decision honours the unwavering courage of our defence forces Army, Navy, and Air Force, Paramilitary, CRPF personnel who dedicate their lives for the security of our nation”.
The decision was taken based on the recommendation of the director of Sainik Welfare and “stands as a token of Andhra Pradesh’s gratitude to our uniformed heroes”, Kalyan said.
Andhra Pradesh Stands with Our Soldiers
As a mark of deep respect and gratitude to our brave soldiers, the Andhra Pradesh NDA government Under the leadership of Hon’ble CM Sri @ncbn garu, PanchayatRaj Department has taken a significant decision, to grant property tax exemption…
— Pawan Kalyan (@PawanKalyan) May 11, 2025
Also Read: 24-yr-old Agniveer from AP killed in ceasefire violation by Pakistan. Kin had no clue of LoC posting
Aid for Agniveer
In tribute to Murali Naik, the Andhra Pradesh government also announced an ex gratia of Rs 50 lakh for his parents, who are daily wage earners.
Naik, the 24-year-old Agniveer from a tribal hamlet in Sri Sathya Sai district, was killed Thursday night in an incident of ceasefire violation by Pakistan along the LoC amidst Operation Sindoor during which India hit terror sites in Pakistan and PoK.
Earlier, when news of his demise broke, Andhra Pradesh Handlooms Minister S. Savitha, from the same district, visited the slain soldier’s family in Kalli Thanda and handed over immediate financial aid of Rs 5 lakh. The Naidu administration also announced allotment of five acres of agricultural land to secure the future of Naik’s parents and a 300-square-yard house site for a permanent roof over their heads. Kalyan, “on a personal note, as a small gesture of my deep gratitude and sorrow,” pledged Rs 25 lakh to support Naik’s family.
Several JSP leaders, following Kalyan, are contributing in their individual capacities. Vemulapati Ajay Kumar, chairman of Andhra Pradesh Township and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (AP TIDCO) has pledged Rs 1 lakh to the National Defence Fund from his salary for the month of May.
In Telangana, CM Revanth Reddy pledged his one month’s salary for the National Defence Fund, urging his colleagues in the government and Congress party to do the same.
“As an Indian first, I have decided to make a very modest contribution of one month’s salary to the National Defence Fund for the efforts of our country’s brave Armed Forces to wipe out terrorism, and safeguard our borders & people,” Reddy said in a post on X.
“I have requested all my colleagues and party peers, as well as well-meaning citizens to join in this drive. Let us all stand together, as one, with our forces till our most decisive moment of triumph. Jai Hind!” he added.
As an Indian first, I have decided to make a very modest contribution of one month’s salary to the #NationalDefenceFund for the efforts
of our country’s brave Armed Forces to wipe out terrorism, and safeguard our borders & people.I have requested all my colleagues and party…
— Revanth Reddy (@revanth_anumula) May 9, 2025
On Thursday evening, Revanth led a rally from the State Secretariat to the Indira Gandhi statue on Necklace Road, organised by his administration to express support for the Army and to “inspire our soldiers that we all are one in protecting the country from terrorism”.
Two of the 26 victims of the Pahalgam massacre were from Andhra Pradesh, J.S. Chandramouli, a retired banker from Visakhapatnam, and Madhusudan Rao, working as a techie in Bengaluru, was from Kavali town, Nellore. In a condolence meet at Mangalagiri days after the carnage of tourists in Kashmir, Kalyan had announced Rs 50 lakh assistance from the Jana Sena party to Rao, who was associated with the party as a worker.
Meanwhile, both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana governments have been accommodating people from Telugu states at the AP-Telangana Bhavans in New Delhi, many of them students at educational institutions in Jammu & Kashmir and Punjab, on their way back home as Pakistan’s drone attacks posed a threat to lives.
(Edited by Sugita Katyal)
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