Union Minister Bhagirath Choudhary on Saturday rejected allegations that he improperly received a Rs 99.03 lakh government subsidy for a commercial cucumber farming project, saying the application was filed years before he joined the Union government and that the entire project has remained transparent.
The clarification came after after a political row broke out following The Indian Express report alleging that Choudhary had received financial assistance under a government scheme administered by the Ministry of Agriculture, raising questions over a possible conflict of interest.
Responding to the allegations, the Minister of State for Agriculture said he had been involved in farming since childhood and had followed the same process available to thousands of other farmers.
“I am a farmer and have been in agriculture since my childhood days. I have not hidden anything. Thousands of farmers install polyhouses and avail themselves of subsidies, so I did too. I had applied in 2018. I have installed a board there and mentioned all the loans and subsidies I took. I also train farmers there in new techniques and natural farming. All local officials have visited the spot. So, what did I hide?” Choudhary said.
Minister says subsidy application predates his tenure
Choudhary maintained that the subsidy application was submitted in 2018, well before he assumed office as a Union minister, and argued that the timing undermined allegations that he influenced the approval process.
He also said the project had never been concealed and that information regarding the subsidy, loans and farming activities had been publicly displayed at the site. According to him, the farm has regularly hosted demonstrations and training programmes for farmers on modern agricultural practices and natural farming methods, with local officials visiting the facility on multiple occasions.
The controversy comes amid heightened political scrutiny over the use of government schemes by public representatives, with the opposition alleging conflicts of interest in multiple cases.
Congress alleges conflict of interest
Earlier in the day, Congress leader Pawan Khera shared a media report on X alleging that Choudhary had sanctioned a subsidy worth Rs 99.03 lakh for his own commercial cucumber farming project under a scheme overseen by the Agriculture Ministry.
“They say charity begins at home. For the BJP, subsidy begins at home,” Khera said.
Referring to the report, Khera alleged that Choudhary was “the applicant, the sanctioning authority, and the beneficiary–all rolled into one,” and claimed that “calling it a conflict of interest would be an understatement.”
The Congress leader further alleged that while ordinary citizens are expected to survive on welfare benefits, ministers and their families are using public funds for personal gain.
“Meanwhile, ministers and their kith and kin have the state treasury at their disposal–cornering subsidies, drawing benefits, and treating public funds as their father’s estate,” Khera added.
The latest political exchange comes shortly after separate allegations surfaced against Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav in connection with another media report related to an alleged land matter, with the opposition seeking to draw attention to what it describes as a pattern of misuse of public office.