I'm a farmer: Union minister defends Rs 1 crore subsidy for farm from his ministry

Amid Opposition allegations that he received a Rs 1 crore subsidy from his own ministry, Union Minister of State for Agriculture Bhagirath Choudhary has rejected the charges, accusing the Opposition of deliberately targeting him.

In an exclusive conversation with Aaj Tak, Choudhary did not deny receiving the subsidy but maintained that it was granted strictly in accordance with government rules.

He said he received the subsidy under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture, a Central government scheme launched in 2014 to promote the commercial cultivation of horticultural crops, including vegetables and flowers. The minister said the scheme provides a 50 per cent subsidy on the cost of setting up a polyhouse, a benefit available to thousands of farmers across the country.

Stating that he has been associated with farming since childhood, Choudhary explained why he applied for the subsidy.

"I own land in Peeh village of Rajasthan's Didwana-Kuchaman district. The area faces an acute water shortage and groundwater has almost dried up. Keeping this in mind, I developed a farm pond with a storage capacity of 20 million litres for rainwater harvesting and also set up a polyhouse," he said.

Choudhary said he had applied for the subsidy in 2018, but it was released in 2025 only after the polyhouse had been installed, crops had been cultivated for six months, and the mandatory photography and verification processes had been completed.

Accusing the Opposition of spreading falsehoods, Choudhary defended the subsidy, saying he had installed a large board at his farm displaying complete details of the loan and subsidy.

"If I had any dishonest intention or had done anything wrong, why would I have put up such a board?" he asked.

He added that setting up a polyhouse without government assistance would not be financially viable for an ordinary farmer, which is why such subsidies are provided to help farmers become self-reliant and prosperous.

The minister also said he regularly invites other farmers to visit his farm so they can learn modern and advanced farming techniques. According to him, cucumbers, tomatoes, capsicum, and coriander are currently being cultivated in the polyhouse.

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