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Union Minister of State for Agriculture Bhagirath Choudhary on Saturday defended himself against allegations that he received a 99.03 lakh subsidy for his cucumber farming project under a government scheme administered by his own ministry. He stated that he had "hidden nothing" and had applied for the subsidy years before becoming a minister.
Speaking to ANI, Choudhary responded to media reports regarding the subsidy, asserting that he has been engaged in farming since childhood and that his project was entirely transparent. "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 themselves of 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?" Choudhary said. The recent revelations regarding the subsidy provided to the Union Minister follow allegations made against Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav in another media report related to a case involving the theft of "253 acres" of land. Earlier in the day, Congress leader Pawan Khera cited a media report alleging that Choudhary had sanctioned a subsidy worth 99.03 lakh for his own commercial cucumber farming project under a scheme overseen by the Ministry of Agriculture. In a post on X, Khera alleged a conflict of interest and accused the BJP of hypocrisy regarding corruption. "They say charity begins at home. For the BJP, subsidy begins at home," Khera said. Referring to the report, Khera alleged that Choudhary was "the applicant, the sanctioning authority, and the beneficiary--all rolled into one," and claimed that "calling it a conflict of interest would be an understatement." The Congress leader further alleged that while ordinary citizens are expected to survive on welfare benefits, ministers and their families are using public funds for personal gain. "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," Khera added. (ANI)
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