Mumbai: Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan has turned down the pension awarded to him and his family members by UP government under Yash Bharti Samman, state's highest civilian honour.
In a press statement released a short while ago the veteran actor said, “Whereas I respect the UP Govt'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 Govt., 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.
I shall be writing to the Chief Minister in this regard, in a separate communication."
Earlier, Samajwadi party led Uttar Pradesh Government had decided to give pensions to the recipients of the Yash Bharti Samman, the state's highest honour for the rest of their lives.
According to a report published in Times of India, the recepient include Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan, his wife Jaya and his son Abhishek and they will also be the beneficiaries of the pension fixated at Rs 50,000 per month.This award gets discontinued whenever the SP is not in power in the state.
It is awarded to those who've achieved eminence in the fields of films, art, literature and sport.
About 150 people with their roots to the state have been awarded the prize that was instituted in 1994.
The pension scheme for Yash Bharti recipients is among the highest in the country and it may be more than even what several government officials receive.
