Hyderabad/Vijayawada, Oct 21 (IANS): Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Tuesday remembered the policemen who laid down their lives on duty.

Chief ministers led their respective states in paying tributes to the martyrs on the occasion of Police Commemoration Day.

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao laid wreath at police martyrs' memorial at Shivkumar Lal Stadium in Hyderabad. Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan, Home Minister N. Narasimha Reddy and Director General of Police Anurag Sharma also paid tributes to the martyrs.

A police commemoration parade was also organized on the occasion. The chief minister announced increase in compensation amount to be paid to the kin of police personnel killed on duty.

He said the government will extend all support to the families of martyrs. The chief minister said the people could never forget the sacrifices made by the martyrs while performing their duties. He asked media and film industry to desist from belittling the police.

Home guards took strong exception to the chief minister not announcing increase in compensation for families of home guards killed on duty. A woman home guard said while the chief minister declared hike in ex-gratia for all levels of policemen from constable to IPS officer and also announced other sops for them, he did not utter a word about home guards.

In Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu paid tributes to the police martyrs. He announced Rs.10 crore for the corpus fund for welfare of police personnel. Naidu stressed the need for community policing.

Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister Chinna Rajappa and Director General of Police J.V. Ramudu also paid tributes to martyrs.