New Delhi: For heroic deeds against Pakistani terrorist attack on the famous Akshardham temple in Gujarat, Commando Surjan Singh of National Security Guards (NSG) was on March 11 decorated with the nation's second highest gallantry award, Kirti Chakra.

Besides the NSG commando, three other Army personnel - Major U Jaitly and Naib Subedar Dev Bahadur Thapa, both of the Gurkha Rifles - and Naib Trilok Singh of Rashtriya Rifles were also decorated with Kirti Chakra by President A P J Abdul Kalam as heroic deeds against militants in Jammu and Kashmir continued to dominate the military honours roll.

Awards were given to a total of 66 services personnel at a ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhawan attended amongst others by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani leader of Opposition Sonia Gandhi and several Cabinet ministers.

27 of them received Shaurya Chakras, 10 posthumously, including two civilians Bachitter Singh of Jammu and Kashmir and R S Srinivasan of Madhya Pradesh. The Shaurya Chakra awards were given mostly for gallantry in counter insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir and North East.

The President also decorated 12 senior armed forces officers with the nation's highest peacetime award Param Vishisht Seva Medal for distinguished service of the most exceptional order.

The recipients included Air Marshal Adi Rustomji Ghandhi, AOC in C, Western Air Command, Lt General Ashok Chaki, Deputy Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Dharam Prakash Sayal, Signal Officer in Chief, Army Headquarters and Lt Gen A Natarajan, Adjutant General at Army Headquarters.

PTI