Central Minister Receives ₹99 Lakh Subsidy from Own Ministry's Horticulture Scheme

Bharatiya Janata Party Member of Parliament and Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Bhagirathi Chaudhry has received approximately ₹99 lakh in government subsidy from the National Horticulture Board (NHB)—an autonomous organisation under his own ministry—for a cucumber farming project in Rajasthan. The subsidy, amounting to ₹99.03 lakh, was deposited into his HDFC Bank loan account on 30 March 2026. The project, located in Peeh village in Ajmer district of Rajasthan, involves cucumber cultivation across 16,592 square meters with polybeds and an artificial pond, with total project costs of ₹1.99 crore.

Chaudhry applied online in April 2025 and received in-principle approval within 14 days, followed by final approval in March 2026. The subsidy comes under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) scheme, which promotes commercial horticulture by providing up to 50 percent subsidy on project costs for select vegetables including cucumber, tomato, and bell pepper, with a maximum limit of ₹1 crore per family. In 2025-26, only 467 projects nationwide received approval under this scheme, and Chaudhry's project was among them.

The arrangement raises questions about conflict of interest, as Chaudhry serves as ex-officio Vice-Chairman of the NHB—the very board that approved the subsidy. While officials state that the Vice-Chairman is not directly involved in project approval committees, the fact that a minister received substantial funds from his ministry's scheme without disclosing the pending project to the Prime Minister's Office beforehand has drawn scrutiny. When contacted by media outlets, Chaudhry's office acknowledged receipt of questions regarding the subsidy but provided no response or comment.

Investigative reports also reveal that a senior Indian Administrative Service officer, Naresh Pal Gangwar, who currently serves as Secretary in the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, benefited similarly. Three members of Gangwar's family—his mother, wife, and son—collectively received over ₹1.16 crore in subsidies under the same scheme for cucumber farming projects in Jaipur district between 2021 and 2025. These subsidies were distributed while Gangwar held various administrative positions, though not directly in the agriculture ministry.

This is not Chaudhry's first attempt to access the scheme. In 2018, both he and his son applied for subsidies under the same program, but their applications were rejected due to delays in submitting required hard copy documents. The current approval process, which moved from application to final sanction in approximately one year with unusually rapid processing, contrasts sharply with the earlier rejection.