Aditya Chopra launches 'Saathi Card' to help daily wage earners
(Sourced from PTI)
Filmmaker Aditya Chopra on Saturday launched the Saathi Card initiative to extend support to the Hindi film industry's daily wage earners and their families amid the COVID-19 crisis. The Saathi Card has been modeled on the lines of an internationally-acclaimed policy concept like "universal basic support." The filmmaker's The Yash Chopra Foundation will provide various benefits to workers under this initiative.
"As part of the initiative, The Yash Chopra Foundation will provide health insurance, school fee allowance, ration supply, annual health check-ups among other benefits to the workers," a press statement read. Akshaye Widhani, Senior Vice President of Chopra's production banner Yash Raj Films (YRF), said the Saathi Card initiative is their way of helping those people who form the backbone of the film industry.
"At Yash Raj Films, we believe not just about reactively donating but it is rather a more strategic thought process and plan of action to create sustainable impact in the lives of our beneficiaries," Widhani said. "In times to come, we will expand the scope of this support to enhance the quality of life for those part of our community," Widhani added.
Any person, who is a registered member of Mumbai's Hindi Film Federation, is aged 35 years or above, and has at least one direct dependent, is eligible to apply for the card, the release stated. Cardholders will be able to use it for healthcare including health insurance up to Rs. two lakh, free annual check-ups, and discount on medicine bills and treatment services.
The workers can use the card to support their children's education as YRF is providing an allowance for school fees, stationery, and uniforms. They can use it to purchase ration supplies, it read. In the past, YRF has taken numerous steps to help daily wagers.
The production house recently launched Yash Chopra Saathi Initiative to provide minimum basic support to thousands of workers and initiated a transfer of Rs. 5,000 to the women and senior citizens of the industry. Chopra also rolled out a plan to vaccinate workers of the Hindi film fraternity and lent financial support to them during the coronavirus pandemic-forced lockdown.
