Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh launches Atmanirbhar Panchayat Programme, SAMARTH Portal to strengthen Panchayati Raj institutions
New Delhi, July 27
Union Minister for Panchayati Raj and Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Rajiv Ranjan Singh on Monday launched the Atmanirbhar Panchayat Programme, the SAMARTH Panchayat Portal and released the Model Own Source Revenue Rules aimed at strengthening the financial and institutional capacity of Panchayati Raj Institutions.
According to the press release from Ministry of Panchayati Raj, the initiatives were launched at a function held at Krishi Bhawan in New Delhi, where the minister said financially empowered and technologically enabled Panchayats are central to achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.
Addressing the event, Singh said the newly launched initiatives would help Panchayats become self-reliant by strengthening their own source revenues and improving grassroots governance through technology-driven solutions.
"The Atmanirbhar Panchayat Programme, SAMARTH Panchayat Portal and Model OSR Rules mark a significant step towards building financially empowered, technologically enabled and self-reliant Panchayats," the minister said.
As per the release of Ministry of Panchayati Raj, the Atmanirbhar Panchayat Programme will enable Gram Panchayats and Block Panchayats to identify local assets and transform them into revenue-generating projects with technical support from the ministry.
The programme will facilitate financing through Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) contributions, convergence with government schemes and bank finance, with NABARD and HUDCO serving as institutional partners.
A total of 350 projects are proposed under the programme over four years, including 50 projects in the first year and 100 projects annually over the next three years. Gram Panchayats with a minimum own source revenue of Rs 50 lakh and Block Panchayats with at least Rs 1 crore in own source revenue, along with a minimum remaining tenure of three years, will be eligible to participate, with relaxed norms for special category states.
The ministry also launched the SAMARTH Panchayat Portal, described as a first-of-its-kind national digital platform for end-to-end management of Panchayat own source revenue. The portal enables digital taxpayer registration, demand generation, online payments, revenue collection and real-time monitoring.
Officials said Chhattisgarh and Himachal Pradesh have already been onboarded, with over 51 lakh taxpayers registered, demand notices worth Rs 95 crore generated and more than Rs 27 crore collected. The onboarding process is underway in Maharashtra, Mizoram, Assam, Haryana, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh.
The Union Minister said the initiatives are aligned with the recommendations of the Sixteenth Finance Commission to strengthen the own source revenue of Panchayati Raj Institutions and improve their financial sustainability.
The ministry also released Model OSR Rules to provide states and Union Territories with a guiding framework for assessment, collection and management of Panchayat revenues, including property tax, user charges, fees and other non-tax revenues. The rules are advisory in nature and can be adapted by states according to local requirements and existing legal frameworks.
During the event, Singh was also presented the Gold Award conferred on the Ministry of Panchayati Raj under the National Awards for e-Governance (NAeG) 2026 for the Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) initiative. The ministry said four Panchayati Raj-related initiatives received three Gold and one Silver award at the 29th National Conference on e-Governance held in Jaipur earlier this month.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Good initiative, but I worry about implementation on the ground. Our panchayats often lack basic digital literacy and internet connectivity. How will a portal work in remote villages? The onboarding of 51 lakh taxpayers is impressive for Chhattisgarh and Himachal—let's see if other states catch up. CSR and PPP involvement sounds promising if monitored well.
This is the kind of reform we've been waiting for. The Model OSR Rules provide a much-needed legal framework for property tax and user charges. If panchayats can generate their own revenue without depending entirely on state grants, governance will improve dramatically. Kudos to the ministry for the Gold Award too—recognition well deserved! 👏
Interesting approach, but I'm skeptical about the revenue targets. 50 lakh for a Gram Panchayat is quite high for many rural areas. Also, the Model Rules are 'advisory'—without mandatory adoption, states might drag their feet. However, the PPP model and NABARD/HUDCO partnership could bring much-needed professionalism. Let's hope this isn't just another paper launch.
The vision of Viksit Bharat @2047 is great, but we need to ensure that the benefits actually reach the grassroots. The SAMARTH Portal sounds excellent for transparency—real-time monitoring of revenue collection is a game-changer. But I worry about data privacy and training for panchayat officials who are not tech-savvy. Comprehensive capacity building is essential. 🇮🇳
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