Union Minister Bhagirath Choudhary rejects Indian Express claims over ₹99 lakh subsidy, says he applied for it before becoming minister and nothing was hidden

Union Minister of State for Agriculture Bhagirath Choudhary has rejected the claims of impropriety after questions were raised over him receiving a government subsidy of ₹99.03 lakh for a commercial cucumber farming project. The controversy began after a report by Indian Express made the allegations that the subsidy was granted under a scheme run by the same ministry where Choudhary currently serves as Minister of State.

Responding to the allegations, Choudhary said there was nothing improper about receiving the subsidy because he had been a farmer for a long time before entering politics.

Speaking to ANI, Choudhary said, “I am a farmer and have been in agriculture since my childhood days. I have not hidden anything.” He explained that he had applied for the subsidy in 2018, before becoming a minister, following all rules and regulations, and had openly declared the loans and financial assistance received for the project.

Minister says the project is used to train farmers

The BJP leader said his farm is not just a commercial venture but also serves as a training centre where farmers learn modern farming techniques and natural farming methods.

“Thousands of farmers install polyhouses and avail subsidies. So, I did too,” he said, adding that local government officials had inspected the project before approving the subsidy.

Indian Express report sparks controversy

The issue came to light after The Indian Express reported that Choudhary had received the subsidy under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), a Central government scheme launched in 2014-15 to encourage large-scale cultivation of vegetables and flowers.

The scheme is implemented by the National Horticulture Board (NHB), which provides subsidies of up to 50% of the project cost, with a maximum limit of ₹1 crore per family, for crops such as cucumber, tomato, capsicum and selected flowers.

According to the NHB’s official structure, the Union Agriculture Minister serves as its ex officio President, while the Minister of State for Agriculture is the ex officio Vice-President.

However, official records also show that a separate NHB Project Approval Committee approves subsidy applications, and neither the President nor the Vice-President serves on that committee.

Opposition targets the BJP

The report triggered a political row, with the Congress accusing the BJP government of a conflict of interest.

Congress leader Pawan Khera questioned the BJP’s claims of having “zero tolerance” for corruption and took a swipe at the ruling party by saying, “For the BJP, subsidy begins at home.”

He further alleged that Choudhary had become “the applicant, the sanctioning authority, and the beneficiary, all rolled into one,” describing the case as “blatant loot.”

Approval process handled by a separate committee

The subsidy was sanctioned under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), a Central government scheme that was launched in 2014-15, making it almost 11 years old. The scheme was introduced to promote large-scale commercial cultivation of vegetables and flowers and offers subsidies of up to 50% of the project cost, subject to a maximum limit of ₹1 crore per family, for crops such as cucumber, capsicum, tomato and selected flowers.

According to The Indian Express report itself, the subsidy is processed through a multi-step approval system. Applicants first submit their applications online through the National Horticulture Board (NHB) portal. This is followed by an in-principle approval, inspection of the project site by officials, and finally, approval by the NHB Project Approval Committee.

The report itself mentions that the minister of state has no direct role in approving applications under the scheme.

An excerpt from The Indian Express report

The report also notes that although the Union Agriculture Minister serves as the ex officio President of the NHB and the Minister of State for Agriculture serves as the ex officio Vice-President, neither of them is part of the Project Approval Committee that clears subsidy proposals. The committee independently examines and approves applications under the scheme.

Written by Shriti Sagar
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