Union Minister Defends Receiving Rs 99 Lakh Subsidy for Cucumber Farming Project

NEW DELHI: Union minister of state for agriculture Bhagirath Choudhary Saturday defended receiving a govt subsidy of Rs 99 lakh for his cucumber farming project in Rajasthan, saying he had applied for it in 2018 (prior to becoming a minister), followed all rules and procedures, and did not conceal anything. Responding to the controversy over his availing subsidy under a scheme administered by his own ministry, Choudhary claimed that he had adhered to all rules while utilising it like thousands of other farmers. “I am a farmer and have been into agriculture since my childhood... I have not hidden anything. Thousands of farmers avail subsidies. So, I did too. I had applied for it 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...” Choudhary told news agency ANI while emphasising that he did not indulge in any wrongdoing. His clarification followed a media report which claimed that the MoS had secured the subsidy under a central scheme of the National Horticulture Board, where he serves as ex-officio vice-president by virtue of his post. The central scheme, Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture, was launched in 2014-15 to promote large-scale commercial cultivation of select vegetables and flowers. It offers subsidies of up to 50% of project cost, capped at Rs 1 crore per family, for crops such as cucumber, capsicum and tomato, besides select flower varieties.