NHB suspends fresh applications under two subsidy schemes for a month
NHB suspends fresh applications under two schemes for a month from Sept 4, days after subsidy row and guideline changes.
The National Horticulture Board (NHB), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, has temporarily stopped accepting fresh applications for grant of clearance (GoC) under two of its schemes. The suspension, effective from September 4, will last one month, according to a circular issued on September 3.
The move comes days after the board amended guidelines of a scheme under which a Union minister and relatives of a serving central government secretary had availed subsidies for cucumber farms.
The suspension applies to the Scheme for Development of Commercial Horticulture through Production and Post-Harvest Management of Horticulture Produce and the Capital Investment Subsidy Scheme for Construction/Expansion/Modernization of Cold Storages.
The circular states that the temporary halt is to facilitate orderly implementation of revised guidelines, including verification of pending cases and updation of the online application system. During this period, the online facility for submitting fresh GoC applications will remain unavailable. The GoC is mandatory for applicants to avail the credit-linked back-ended subsidy under NHB schemes.
Cases already submitted before the suspension will continue to be processed under the revised guidelines. The NHB will notify the date for resumption of fresh applications.
The development follows an investigation that revealed Minister of State for Agriculture Bhagirath Choudhary and the wife, mother, and son of IAS officer Naresh Pal Gangwar, currently secretary of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, had availed subsidy under the first scheme. Choudhary subsequently returned Rs 99 lakh to the NHB.
On August 21, the government revised the scheme’s guidelines, changing the definition of 'family' and barring holders of constitutional posts, serving ministers, MPs, MLAs, mayors, district panchayat chiefs, and government employees from availing financial assistance under NHB schemes. The revised 'family' definition now includes the applicant's spouse, father, mother, sons, and daughters, replacing the earlier definition of husband, wife, and dependent minor children.
The first scheme aims to promote large-scale commercial farming of horticultural crops such as capsicum, cucumber, tomato, and eight varieties of flowers including rose, lilium, and chrysanthemum. It offers a maximum subsidy of 50 per cent of the project cost, capped at Rs 1 crore per family.