CMO fails to condole Army man's death, yet to announce aid for kin

HYDERABAD: Family members of Pabbala Anil, a member of the Army Aviation Squadron (UH) who died in an ALH Dhruv helicopter crash in Jammu and Kashmir last Thursday, are still awaiting the Chief Minister to convey condolence or announce aid.

They said that minister K.T. Rama Rao, who represents their district of Rajanna-Sircilla, issued a message of condolence on Thursday night, but there has been no further interaction from the Chief Minister or his son. Although Anil’s last rites were performed with full state honours, the state is yet to announce any financial or remunerative support to his family, they reiterated.

The state’s silence has not only shocked the family but also the Army, sources said.

Anil is survived by his elderly parents, wife and two children. His elder son, Pabbala Ayan, 6, lit his funeral pyre after the wreath-laying ceremony and Army personnel offered their final salutes.

His wife Pabbala Soujanya, a graduate, recently cleared the preliminary test and subsequent procedures for the SI recruitment, being currently conducted by the state police department.

The news of Anil's death reached the family on Thursday at noon. A couple of hours before the incident, Anil had a chat on WhatsApp with Soujanya, telling her that he was leaving the base shortly on an assignment.

“He said he would call me after returning to the base,” Soujanya said.

Anil’s elder brother, Pabbala Mahesh, a farmer by profession, spoke to Anil on Thursday morning about a land issue as a few villagers were trying to encroach on their ownings. “As he told me that he would be leaving on an assignment in a short while, I told him that we would take care of it,” Mahesh told Deccan Chronicle on Saturday.

The family recollected Anil’s recent visit, which was 10 days ago, when he purchased a car for his parents. His father Malliah is a right-leg amputee due to health reasons, while his mother also had to make frequent visits to the hospital.

On Friday evening, Anil's mortal remains reached Hyderabad, where Army officials and Cyberabad police officials paid their respects, after which the mortal remains were shifted to Malkapuram village, Anil’s native place.

However, state government officials were conspicuous by their absence in paying their last respects, as is the custom, said sources.

A contingent of 40 soldiers, three Army officers, including from the unit Anil was serving, accompanied the mortal remains, where minister Gangula Kamalakar, planning board vice-chair Boinpally Vinod Kumar, Choppadandi MLA Ravi Shankar Sunke, collector Anurag Jayanti, SP Akhil Mahajan and district police paid their respects.

Karimnagar MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar too offered his respects when the mortal remains were being carried to Malkapuram.

Kamalakar and Vinod Kumar interacted with Anil's family after the final rites, but the family got no word from them about the state government's support, if any.