BJP MP Lumbaram Choudhary Received ₹4.20 Lakh Horticulture Subsidy, Centre Informs Lok Sabha

By Political Bureau | New Delhi Chronicle

NEW DELHI — The Union Government on Tuesday informed the Lok Sabha that BJP MP Lumbaram Choudhary from Jalore, Rajasthan, received a ₹4.20-lakh financial subsidy under a central horticulture initiative, making him another sitting parliamentarian alongside Union Minister Bhagirath Choudhary to benefit from the scheme over the past five years.

In a written response to a query raised by Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Ramnath Thakur revealed that the subsidy was sanctioned to Lumbaram Choudhary in 2025 for growing lemons on his six-acre farm in Vadeli village, situated in Rajasthan’s Sirohi district.

Timeline and Scheme Details

According to government disclosures, the assistance was granted under the central scheme titled ‘Development of Commercial Horticulture through Production and Post-Harvest Management of Horticulture Crops’, which operates under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) and is administered by the National Horticulture Board (NHB).

The official records indicate that Choudhary applied for the financial aid in April 2021, well before his election to the Lok Sabha in 2024. The total project cost was estimated at ₹16.92 lakh, for which he raised a bank loan of ₹12.69 lakh. The subsidy was formally approved in December 2024 and disbursed directly to his State Bank of India account on January 15, 2025.

Prior to being elected as a Member of Parliament, Choudhary served as a member of the Zila Parishad in Sirohi (2021–2024), president of the BJP’s Sirohi district unit (2014–2019), and head of the local Panchayat Samiti (2005–2010). On official parliamentary records, his profession is listed as an agriculturist, farmer, and LIC agent.

Union Minister Refunded ₹99-Lakh Grant

The government’s written reply also confirmed that Union Minister of State for Agriculture Bhagirath Choudhary has refunded a ₹99-lakh subsidy he had previously availed for a cucumber cultivation project spread over 16,592 square meters. The grant had been drawn from a scheme run directly under his own ministry.

The scheme offers up to 50 percent subsidy (capped at ₹1 crore per family) for commercial farming of select vegetables and high-value floral species. The refund came after public scrutiny regarding central subsidies granted to high-ranking officials and public representatives.

Absence of Conflict-of-Interest Framework

Addressing Banerjee’s inquiry on whether the government maintains a formal conflict-of-interest or recusal policy when evaluating grant applications from public functionaries or their immediate relatives, MoS Agriculture Ramnath Thakur stated that no such rules currently exist in the framework.

“The existing NHB Scheme Guidelines do not contain any specific provision regarding conflict of interest or recusal in respect of applications submitted by public functionaries or their family members,” Thakur clarified in his statement to the House.