Yash Bharti: Amitabh Bachchan donates pension to charity as govt clarifies rules

Amitabh Bachchan, who originally hails from Allahabad, UP, stated that he will write to Akhilesh Yadav on the matter.

Amitabh Bachchan, Amitabh Bachchan pension, Amitabh Bachchan UP Govt,

Amitabh Bachchan, who originally hails from Allahabad, UP, stated that he will write to Akhilesh Yadav on the matter.

Actor Amitabh Bachchan has requested the Uttar Pradesh government to donate the monthly pension announced for him, his wife Jaya and actor son Abhishek as Yash Bharti awardees of the state, to charity. Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had Tuesday announced Rs 50,000 monthly pension to Yash Bharti awardees.

“Whereas I respect the UP government’s honour of the Yash Bharati award to members of my family, and their decision as per reports in the press, for providing pension of Rs 50,000 per month to each recipient, I am requesting (the UP government), with all humility, to redirect the entire amount designated for my family towards any noble charitable scheme or cause that benefits the poor and the needy,” Bachchan, who originally hails from Allahabad, said in a statement.

The 73-year-old actor said he will “be writing to the Chief Minister in this regard, in a separate communication”.
Meanwhile, with questions being raised about many financially stable people becoming eligible for the pension, the state government clarified that as per the rules, no awardee would receive the pension automatically.

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“As per the rules cleared, these recipients have to apply for the pension money. Only those in need would be given the pension. The decision to give the pension was taken following reports that many of these awardees needed help,” a government statement read.

Sources said that as per rules, while all the recipients who hail from UP or have worked here would be eligible, those in need would have to apply by filling up a form. A committee formed under Director (Culture) would scrutinise the applications.

Instituted by Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav during his tenure as Chief Minister in 1994, the Yash Bharti award is given to “eminent” persons from the fields of art, culture, sports, literature, medicine, journalism and social service. The award was discontinued during BJP and BSP regimes but returned with the SP’s return to pwoer. In 2013, CM Akhilesh Yadav revived the award, increasing the prize money from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 11 lakh. — (With PTI inputs)

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