Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday appointed Bollywood actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui as the brand ambassador of its flagship programme 'Samajwadi Kisan Beema Yojana', a scheme aimed at insuring farmers.
Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav announced this at a function at his official residence. Flanked by Nawazuddin, Akhilesh hoped that with the actor's joining, awareness about the scheme will reach far and wide. In the scheme, many facilities like cashless treatment upto Rs 2.5 lakh and Rs one lakh for organ transplant have been included.
Chief Secretary Rahul Bhatnagar said that a plastic card was being issued to the beneficiaries which will have details of all family members who are covered in the scheme. The plastic card carries a picture of the chief minister.
He also added that an agreement with four government insurance companies had been sealed with regard to the Samajwadi Farmers Insurance Scheme. Siddiqui thanked the chief minister for choosing him to be the brand ambassador and said "he was happy as his forefathers have been farmers".
The actor added "there was no better way to reconnect with the roots than to spread awareness about the insurance benefits".
Last week, the Samajwadi Party government had roped in actress Vidya Balan as brand ambassador for the Samajwadi Pension Scheme, under which 55 lakh families in the state will get Rs 500 per month through direct bank transfer.
The event coincides with a battle for supremacy in the ruling party where Akhilesh Yadav and his uncle and minister Shivpal Singh Yadav are trying to corner each other.