MoS Bhagirath Choudhary returns Rs 99 lakh subsidy he availed from his own ministry, Centre tells Lok Sabha

Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Bhagirath Choudhary, who had availed a Rs 99 lakh subsidy from his own ministry, has returned the subsidy amount, the Centre told the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

Choudhary had reportedly availed the subsidy for his cucumber farm, triggering a massive controversy.

Advertisement

He refunded the subsidy amount to the concerned bank, and the bank has been directed to return the money to the National Horticulture Board.

“Shri Bhagirath Choudhary has communicated that he has refunded the subsidy to the bank concerned under the scheme. The concerned bank has been directed to return the subsidy amount to NHB (National Horticulture Board),” Union Minister Ramnath Thakur said in a written response to a question by TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee.

The issue came to light following a media report that his own ministry gave him a Rs 99 lakh subsidy.

What Bhagirath Choudhary had said on subsidy controversy?

Reacting to the report, Choudhary last month claimed that he has been a farmer since childhood and availed the subsidy like thousands of other eligible 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 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?…” he had said.

The refund of the subsidy by the minister comes amid greater scrutiny of the Union government’s ministers over accountability.

Earlier this month, a massive protest by thousands of students demanding accountability over paper leaks resulted in Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation.