Union Minister of Panchayati Raj and Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh, launched the Atmanirbhar Panchayat Programme, the SAMARTH Panchayat Portal and released the Model OSR (Own Source of Revenue) Rules for Panchayati Raj Institutions at a function held at Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi. On this occasion, the Union Minister was also presented with the Trophy and Certificate for the Gold Award conferred on the Ministry under the National Awards for e-Governance (NAeG) 2026 for the Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) – Data Driven Governance for Viksit Bharat. Prof. S. P. Singh Baghel, Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj, Shri Vivek Bharadwaj, Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj along with other senior officers of the Ministry were also present on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh said that 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, in line with the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047. He said that Panchayati Raj Institutions are central to India’s democratic and developmental journey. Strengthening them with digital tools and sustainable revenue streams would improve grassroots governance and accelerate inclusive rural development. The Union Minister said that the Atmanirbhar Panchayat Programme would enable Panchayats to identify local assets and opportunities and convert them into sustainable revenue-generating projects. He stated that, the SAMARTH Panchayat Portal would facilitate seamless and transparent taxation, payments and monitoring of Panchayat revenues.  The Union Minister observed that these initiatives are aligned with the recommendations of the Sixteenth Finance Commission on strengthening Own Source Revenue (OSR). Shri Singh urged elected representatives and functionaries of PRIs and RLBs to make effective use of these initiatives to further enhance transparency, strengthen participatory democracy and promote citizen-centric governance at the grassroots.

Atmanirbhar Panchayat Programme

The Atmanirbhar Panchayat Programme is a unique initiative of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj that enables Gram Panchayats and Block Panchayats to identify local assets and opportunities and develop them, with dedicated technical support from the Ministry, into bankable, revenue-generating projects that build sustainable OSR. Financing is facilitated through Public Private Partnerships, Corporate Social Responsibility contributions, convergence with other schemes and bank finance, with NABARD and HUDCO as institutional partners. A total of 350 projects are to be developed over four years, comprising 50 projects in the first year and 100 in each of the following three years. Gram Panchayats with a minimum OSR of Rs. 50 lakh and Block Panchayats with a minimum OSR of Rs. 1 crore, each with at least three years of tenure remaining, are eligible to apply, with relaxed thresholds for special category States. Outreach workshops on the programme have been held for Panchayat representatives across ten States, till date. For More details visit:  https://egramswaraj.gov.in/atmanibharguidelines.do   / Atmanirbhar Panchayat Program

SAMARTH Panchayat Portal

The SAMARTH Panchayat Portal is a first-of-its-kind digital initiative of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj designed to strengthen the financial capacity of Gram Panchayats through technology-enabled management of OSR. Developed as a unified, configurable national platform, SAMARTH enables Gram Panchayats to digitally manage the complete OSR lifecycle, from taxpayer registration and demand generation to online payments, collection and real-time monitoring. The launch complements the recommendations of the Sixteenth Finance Commission, which has emphasized strengthening the OSR of PRIs/ RLBs to improve their financial sustainability. Chhattisgarh and Himachal Pradesh have already been onboarded on the portal, with more than 51 lakh taxpayers registered, demand notices worth Rs. 95 crore generated and over Rs. 27 crore collected to date. Onboarding is underway in Maharashtra, Mizoram, Assam, Haryana, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh. For More details visit: www.samarthpanchayat.gov.in / SAMARTH Panchayat Portal

Model OSR Rules for Panchayati Raj Institutions

To strengthen the financial independence of Panchayati Raj Institutions, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj has prepared Model OSR (Own Sources of Revenue) Rules as a guiding framework for States and Union Territories. Building on the recommendations of the Sixteenth Finance Commission, the Model Rules aim to support States in creating a transparent, uniform and efficient system for the assessment, collection and management of Panchayat revenues such as property tax, user charges, fees and other non-tax revenues. These Model Rules are advisory in nature and may be adopted or adapted by States according to their local requirements and existing legal framework. The initiative seeks to promote better revenue mobilization, strengthen local governance and enable Panchayats to become more financially self-reliant while improving service delivery to rural citizens.

Recognition at National e-Governance Awards 2026

Four Panchayati Raj related initiatives, including the Panchayat Advancement Index, were conferred National Awards for e-Governance 2026, comprising three Gold and one Silver, at the 29th National Conference on e-Governance held in Jaipur from 1 to 2 July 2026, reflecting the Panchayati Raj sector’s expanding leadership in data driven, grassroots digital governance.

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