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Union Minister of Panchayati Raj Rajiv Ranjan Singh launched the Atmanirbhar Panchayat Programme, the SAMARTH Panchayat Portal, and released Model OSR (Own Source of Revenue) Rules for Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) at Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi.
The Atmanirbhar Panchayat Programme will develop 350 revenue-generating projects over four years (50 in year 1, 100 each in the following three years) from Gram/Block Panchayats' local assets, financed via PPP, CSR, scheme convergence and bank finance, with NABARD and HUDCO as institutional partners.
The SAMARTH Portal, a unified national platform for digitally managing Panchayat OSR, has already onboarded Chhattisgarh and Himachal Pradesh — registering over 51 lakh taxpayers, generating ₹95 crore in demand notices and collecting over ₹27 crore.
Model OSR Rules give States/UTs an advisory framework for transparent assessment, collection and management of Panchayat revenues such as property tax and user charges, building on Sixteenth Finance Commission recommendations.
The Ministry also received a Gold Award at the National Awards for e-Governance (NAeG) 2026 for the Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) — one of 4 Panchayati Raj-related awards (3 Gold, 1 Silver) at the 29th National Conference on e-Governance (Jaipur, 1-2 July 2026).
Enable Gram/Block Panchayats to convert local assets and opportunities into bankable, sustainable OSR-generating projects with Ministry technical support
Key: 350 projects over 4 years, financed via PPP/CSR/scheme convergence/bank finance with NABARD & HUDCO as partners; eligibility floors of ₹50 lakh (GP)/₹1 crore (BP) OSR, relaxed for special category States; outreach workshops held across 10 States so far
Technology-enabled management of the complete OSR lifecycle — taxpayer registration, demand generation, online payments, collection and real-time monitoring
Key: Unified, configurable national platform; live in Chhattisgarh & Himachal Pradesh with 51 lakh+ taxpayers registered; accessible at www.samarthpanchayat.gov.in
Advisory guiding framework for States/UTs to build a transparent, uniform and efficient system for assessing, collecting and managing Panchayat revenue (property tax, user charges, fees)
Key: Non-binding — States may adopt or adapt the Rules according to local requirements and existing legal frameworks
SDG-aligned index tracking the progress of about 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats across 9 Localised SDG themes
Key: 435 local indicators (331 mandatory + 104 optional), 5 performance categories from Beginner to Achiever (90-100); won Gold at NAeG 2026 for 'Data Driven Governance for Viksit Bharat'
Strengthen the fiscal autonomy and accountability of Panchayati Raj Institutions
Key: Recommends Gram Panchayats reach a minimum OSR of ₹1,200 per household per year (or a prescribed growth criterion) to access performance-linked grants; recommended ~₹4,35,236 crore for Rural Local Bodies overall — about 84% higher than the comparable Fifteenth Finance Commission allocation; report tabled in Parliament on 1 February 2026
Gave Panchayati Raj Institutions constitutional status by inserting Part IX (Articles 243-243O) and the Eleventh Schedule (29 subjects); came into force 24 April 1993 — the foundational basis for the PRI fiscal-empowerment initiatives launched here
Explicitly cited as the basis for both the Atmanirbhar Panchayat Programme and the SAMARTH Portal's emphasis on strengthening Own Source Revenue (OSR)
The Minister framed financially self-reliant, revenue-generating Panchayats as key to realising this national vision for India's centenary of independence
Predecessor whose Rural Local Body allocation (for FY2021-26) the Sixteenth Finance Commission's recommended ₹4,35,236 crore exceeds by about 84%
GS Paper 2 > Polity > Local Self-Government (Panchayati Raj); Governance > E-Governance Initiatives
New — first major PRI fiscal-empowerment package of the Sixteenth Finance Commission cycle.
Panchayat revenue raised locally — property tax, user charges, fees — as distinct from grants/transfers received from the Centre or State.
An index tracking about 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats' progress across 9 Localised SDG themes using 435 indicators.