Union Minister of State for Agriculture Bhagirath Choudhary has returned a ₹9.9 million (₹99 lakh) government subsidy that he had received for his commercial cucumber farm, following criticism from opposition parties over a possible conflict of interest. The Union government informed the Lok Sabha that the minister has deposited the subsidy amount back with the concerned bank, which has been instructed to transfer the funds to the National Horticulture Board (NHB).
The subsidy was sanctioned under a central scheme that promotes commercial cultivation of crops such as cucumbers, capsicum, tomatoes, roses, orchids and anthuriums. Eligible farmers can receive financial assistance covering up to 50 percent of project costs, subject to a maximum limit of ₹10 million (₹1 crore).
Bhagirath Choudhary, who represents Ajmer in Rajasthan, owns a 16,592-square-metre cucumber farm that received assistance under the scheme. The project attracted public attention because he also serves as the Vice-Chairperson of the National Horticulture Board, the agency responsible for implementing the subsidy programme.
During the Lok Sabha session, opposition MP Abhishek Banerjee questioned the criteria used for approving subsidies and asked whether the government planned to introduce safeguards against potential conflicts of interest involving ministers, MPs or their family members.
In its written response, the government stated that there is currently no specific provision requiring public office holders to recuse themselves from subsidy approval processes due to conflict-of-interest concerns. It maintained that all applications are processed transparently through an online system and evaluated solely on the basis of eligibility and scheme guidelines.
The government also disclosed that another BJP MP from Rajasthan had received benefits under the same horticulture scheme.
