The Union minister of state for panchayati raj, Kapil Moreshwar Patil, arrived in Malda on Wednesday and visited various villages as part of the Viksit Bharat Sankalpa Yatra, an outreach initiative of the central government that was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 15 last year.

"The purpose of this programme is to ensure that the people get the benefits of the Centre's pro-people projects,” the visiting central minister said.

While the Yatra is likely to end on January 26 in other states, it has been extended till January 31 in Bengal.

"The extension had to be made since the Trinamul Congress government here did not provide support to this programme," the minister alleged.

The minister also claimed that the programme was largely hailed by all the villages in the other states.

"Previously, people had to knock on the doors of the government to get their rights. But Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided to send the government to the people's door," Patil said.

The minister visited Mathurapur in Manikchak block and Kaliachak-III block to meet people as well as the BJP workers.

Explaining why the Centre did not release funds for the MGNREGS to Bengal, the minister said: "The previous Congress government in the Centre sanctioned Rs 14,985 crore for different schemes in Bengal from 2004 to 2014. However, the BJP government sanctioned Rs 54,150 crore for Bengal in the last 10 years. The central funds have been kept in abeyance now since the state government could not adhere to the norms. We have asked them for proper accounts. If the Trinamul government furnishes the proper accounts, funds will be released (to Bengal)."

He claimed that as chief minister Mamata Banerjee declared to fight alone in the Lok Sabha polls in Bengal, the INDIA bloc had virtually dissolved.

"Even if opposition parties try to form an alliance now, it will be too fragile in the face of the people's grand alliance in favour of Narendra Modi and the BJP," Patil said.