Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced that the state will give two hectares of agricultural land to the legal heir of martyred soldiers, in case their spouses are not alive, as compensation.

On March 20 this year, the Maharashtra government had decided to give two hectares of land to the wives of martyred soldiers.

A statement from the Chief Minister's office has said that legal heir has also been included in the list and in case the spouse of the martyred soldier is not alive, the land the land could be given to the legal heir of the soldier.

The changes, required in land allotment rules to implement this decision, were approved by Mr Fadnavis yesterday. The decision would apply to the Army as well as other armed forces of the Union.

The district collector has been vested with the right to provide such land free of cost to the wife or legal heir of a soldier martyred in war, terror attacks or in missions abroad.