Minister Choudhary Received ₹1 Crore Subsidy Under Own Ministry, Says Followed Rules

Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Bhagirath Choudhary has received a subsidy of nearly ₹1 crore under a scheme administered by his own ministry, an investigation by The Indian Express has found. The minister, however, maintains that he has complied with all rules and guidelines.

The subsidy of ₹99.60 lakh was granted three months ago under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), a scheme launched in 2014-15 to promote commercial farming of select vegetables and flowers. The scheme is administered by the National Horticulture Board (NHB), an autonomous organisation under the administrative control of Choudhary’s ministry. The subsidy was approved by a board in which Choudhary serves as ex officio Vice-President.

Responding to the report, Choudhary told ANI, “I'm a farmer, and I've been farming since childhood. And the Prime Minister and everyone want farming to be made profitable and advanced.” He stated that he had publicly disclosed the subsidy details and was using the farm to train other farmers. He emphasised that he followed all applicable rules and guidelines.

The Indian Express report noted that the subsidy was provided under a scheme meant to promote large-scale commercial farming. Choudhary, who holds the agriculture portfolio, is also a farmer by background. The minister’s receipt of subsidies from a program under his own oversight has raised questions about potential conflicts of interest, though he has denied any wrongdoing.

As per available records, the subsidy was processed through the standard procedure. The minister’s office has not commented further on the specifics of the approval process. The MIDH scheme has been operational for several years and aims to boost horticulture production and farmer incomes.