Maharashtra to pay tribute to martyred Army officer Rane with gallantry award

Major Kaustubh Rane, who was martyred in an encounter on the Line of Control (LOC) in August last year, will be posthumously honoured with a gallantry award by an organisation here in Maharashtra on January 26. The "Maharana Pratap Shourya Puraskar" consists of Rs 11,000 in cash and a citation, announced B L Sharma of Hindi Bhashi Ekta Parishad, which has instituted awards in various categories, in a press conference Tuesday.

The Parishad has organised the 26th Rashtriya Kavi Sameelan or gathering of poets here on Republic Day. Major Rane (29) was martyred in north Kashmir's Gurez sector of Bandipora district along with three Army soldiers while fighting terrorists. He was a resident of Mira Road in Thane district.

Among other awards, "Dr.Harivanshrai Bacchan Sahitya Ratna Puraskar" will be bestowed upon journalist Vimal Mishra while Marathi actor Subodh Bhave is chosen for the "Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Gaurav Puraskar". Each award consists of Rs 11,000 in cash, a memento and a citation.

The event will be attended by Bombay High Court judges Justice Kamal Kishore Tate and Justice Makarand Karnik, Thane Police Commissioner Vivek Pansalkar and Konkan Range Special IG Naval Bajaj, Sharma said. Noted poets, including Padmashree-awardee Surendra Dubey from Raipur, will read their poems at the congregation.