Coimbatore: Denying allegations that the BJP-led Government was not taking steps to constitute the Cauvery Management Board, in view of the Assembly elections in Karnataka, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Parshottam Rupala today said the Central Government had no such intention to side with one State, eyeing the Assembly polls.

On the Centre not taking steps for the constitution of the board, even when Karnataka refused to release or accept the Supreme Court verdict, Rupala said the Government stood for the benefit of farmers. The (Cauvery) issue was very seriously under consideration of the

Government. “We are trying to sit with both the States, converse and guide them in the interest of farmers,” he added.

On why Karnataka was not pressurised to release water to Tamil Nadu, Rupala, here to inaugurate a three-day international conference on `Emerging Synergires in Agriculture, Food Processing Engineering and Biotechnology’, organised at Karunya University, said: “The Central Government will take measures for the benefit of farmers of Tamil Nadu.”

About farmers, who agitated some time back in Delhi, being totally neglected by the Narendra Modi Government, he said the issue was being politicised.

The Modi Government was the first in the history of the country to have taken various steps for the benefit of farmers, including scheme for doubling their income, neem-coated urea and risk cover and also setting aside Rs 50,000 crore for 99 irrigation schemes, pending for the last 25 years, he said.