Union Minister Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh Launches Atmanirbhar Panchayat Program, SAMARTH Portal & Releases Model OSR Rules to Strengthen Panchayati Raj Institutions in India

Key Highlights:

• Union Minister Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh launched the Atmanirbhar Panchayat Programme, SAMARTH Panchayat Portal, and Model OSR Rules to strengthen Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs).
• The Atmanirbhar Panchayat Programme aims to develop 350 revenue-generating projects over four years, with 50 in the first year and 100 annually thereafter.
• The SAMARTH Panchayat Portal is a digital platform for managing Own Source of Revenue (OSR), with Chhattisgarh and Himachal Pradesh already onboarded, registering over 51 lakh taxpayers.
• Model OSR Rules provide an advisory framework for States/UTs to improve revenue mobilization and financial independence of PRIs.
• The Ministry of Panchayati Raj received a Gold Award for the Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) under the National Awards for e-Governance (NAeG) 2026.

Detailed Insights:

• The initiatives align with the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047 by fostering financially empowered and technologically enabled Panchayats.
• The Atmanirbhar Panchayat Programme facilitates financing through Public Private Partnerships, CSR, scheme convergence, and bank finance, with NABARD and HUDCO as institutional partners.
• Eligibility for the Atmanirbhar Panchayat Programme requires Gram Panchayats to have a minimum OSR of ₹50 lakh and Block Panchayats ₹1 crore.
• The SAMARTH Panchayat Portal enables digital management of the entire OSR lifecycle, from taxpayer registration to online payments and real-time monitoring.
• These initiatives are aligned with the recommendations of the Sixteenth Finance Commission on strengthening OSR for PRIs and Rural Local Bodies (RLBs).
• The Model OSR Rules are advisory, allowing States to adapt them to local requirements for transparent assessment, collection, and management of Panchayat revenues.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs): Local self-governance bodies at the village, block, and district levels in India.
• Own Source of Revenue (OSR): Funds generated by local bodies themselves through taxes, fees, and charges, rather than grants from higher levels of government.
• Sixteenth Finance Commission: A constitutional body that recommends the distribution of tax revenues between the Union and states, and principles governing grants-in-aid to states and local bodies.