Minister Defends Rs 99 Lakh Farm Subsidy Amid Conflict

A Union minister has defended receiving a government subsidy of nearly one crore rupees for his private farm, following a report that raised questions about a potential conflict of interest. Bhagirath Choudhary, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, received approximately Rs 99.6 lakh under a central scheme administered by a board within his own ministry.

The subsidy was granted for a commercial cucumber cultivation project covering 16,592 square metres at Choudhary's farm in Peeh village, Rajasthan's Deedwana-Kuchaman district. The project was approved under the National Horticulture Board's "Development of Commercial Horticulture" scheme, which falls under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture. Official records show the project received final clearance from the NHB on March 11, 2026, and a subsidy of Rs 99.03 lakh was credited to the minister's bank loan account on March 30. The total project cost was Rs 1.99 crore, with a bank loan of Rs 1.49 crore.

Opposition leaders have sharply criticized the minister. Congress leader Pawan Khera described the actions as "blatant loot," stating that calling it a conflict of interest would be an...