₹99.6 Lakh Received for Cucumber Farm, ₹57K Missing: Agriculture Minister of State Bhagirath Choudhary Received Subsidy From His Own Ministry

BHAGIRATH CHOUDHARY, Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, has been under scrutiny for the past couple of days after an investigation from The Indian Express revealed details about the subsidy he received from his own ministry. According to journalist Harikishan Sharma’s report, Choudhary got nearly ₹1 crore subsidy from a board where he was ex-officio vice president himself.

The board hoisted outside Chaudhary’s cucumber farm reads, “Assisted by National Horticulture Board, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Govt. of India.” It also discloses that the Ministry has given a 50% subsidy for the project. The subsidy covers ₹99.6 Lakh of Choudhary’s total expenditure.

The beneficiary on the board is listed as “Mr. Bhagirath Chaudhary,” who is a Member of Lok Sabha from Rajasthan and is currently the Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare—the ministry that approved his subsidy.

What is the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture Scheme?

The subsidy comes under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), launched in 2014-15, and it is administered by the National Horticulture Board (NHB). The scheme is officially called, “Development of Commercial Horticulture through Production and Post-Harvest Management of Horticulture Crops.”

It offers subsidies to promote commercial farming crops like capsicum, cucumber, tomato, and eight types of flowers including roses, anthurium, and orchids.  The subsidy is capped at ₹1 crore per family, with maximum 50% of cultivation cost covered.  

Choudhary’s cucumber farm spans 16,592 sq metre in Peeh village, Rajasthan and received the maximum subsidy of 50% of his farm under the scheme. It was one of 467 projects that were approved last year by NHB. Indian Express report reveals these 467 projects comprised a total land mass of 677 acres, amounting to ₹144 crore subsidy. Out of these only 60 projects were given more than ₹50 lakh subsidy per head.  The report claims that Choudhary received final clearance for his subsidy three months ago from the NHB committee.

See Also: Amid Ujjain Land Holdings Controversy, Nepotism Allegations Pile on MP CM Mohan Yadav; Brother's Sudden Career Shift Sparks Question

These decisions are administered by a board, which has the Union Agriculture Minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, as the President and Union Minister of State as Vice President. While Bagirath is not directly named in the official website, the contact details provided are bagirath.choudhary@sansad.nic.in/ mosafwoffice@gmail.com.

Other members of the board include the Secretary, Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare; the Director General, Indian Council of Agricultural Research; and other officials and representatives of the horticulture industry. On paper, the MoS is not directly involved in approving subsidies for projects. The final approval is granted by the NHB committee that does not include the President or Vice President.

Under this scheme the farmer is mandated to announce the total cost of the farm and how much they received from the government on a board outside the approved land. 

Discrepancies in Bhagirath Choudhary’s Subsidy Allotment

According to a board outside Choudhary’s cucumber farm, his project costs ₹1,99,20,000 (1 crore 99 lakh 20 thousand). Out of this Choudhary spent ₹49.8 lakh from his own pocket and took a loan of ₹1,49,40,000 (1 crore 49 lakh 40 thousand) from HDFC Bank.

The timeline of events, as reported by The Indian Express, puts the minister under scanner for potential conflict of interest. Choudhary assumed his MoS position in 2024 and applied on April 15, 2025. According to Harikishan’s report, the minister got approval in 14 days on April 29, 2025.

After that, the final clearance from NHB was received on March 11, 2026. According to The Indian Express report, on March 30, 2026, were ₹99.03 lakh were directly deposited in his HDFC loan account from the government. However, this is ₹57,000 less than the ₹99.6 lakh amount mentioned in his farmland’s signboard.

See Also: Agriculture Minister convenes meet to curb black marketing, ensure fertiliser supply

According to official records, recovered by The Indian Express, Choudhary owns 9.7 hectares of farm land in Peeh village. According to his total owned property, as declared to PMO, amounts to ₹4.41 crore. This includes farm land in 11 places, including that of Peeh village, which amounts to ₹5.85 lakh.  However, this doesn’t include the farm land under the NHB project, even though it received approval just a month after he assumed his MoS role.

Reaction from Opposition and Bhagirath Choudhary

Congress leader Pawan Khera, while sharing The Indian Express report on X, said this is a “blatant loot.” He added, “It’s troubling because the poor are expected to be grateful for 5 kg of free ration and a modest midday meal for their children, as though these are the government’s favours rather than citizen’s rights. 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.”

Initially, when Indian Express contacted Bhagirath Choudhary’s office, asking about any response to their investigation and the potential conflict of interest, the minister offered no comment. However, Choudhary finally responded to the allegation saying all the documents were disclosed and the subsidy was taken following all the rules and regulations. He said that his farm’s subsidy was publicly disclosed and it was used to teach other farmers.

“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,” Choudhary said to ANI. “The collector came there, the DM of Deedwana-Kuchaman also came, everyone came. They praised it after seeing it. We are taking the farmers there and training them so that they, too, can farm like this. What did I hide?” Choudhary added.

Suggested Reading: