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The Ministry of Panchayati Raj has launched the Atmanirbhar Panchayat Programme along with the SAMARTH Panchayat Portal to strengthen the financial autonomy of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) by enhancing their Own Source Revenue (OSR).

Atmanirbhar Panchayat Programme

• The Atmanirbhar Panchayat Programme is an initiative of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj under the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA).
• It aims to help Gram Panchayats and Block Panchayats identify underutilised local assets and convert them into revenue-generating projects, thereby reducing dependence on Central and State grants.

Key Features

• The programme plans to develop 350 revenue-generating projects over four years, beginning with 50 projects in the first year, followed by 100 projects annually during the next three years.
• It is open to Gram Panchayats with a minimum annual Own Source Revenue (OSR) of ?50 lakh and Block Panchayats with at least ?1 crore OSR, subject to prescribed tenure conditions.
• The Ministry will provide technical assistance to prepare commercially viable project proposals and facilitate funding through Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), scheme convergence, and institutional bank credit.

SAMARTH Panchayat Portal

• The SAMARTH Panchayat Portal is a national digital platform designed for the end-to-end management of Own Source Revenue (OSR) of Gram Panchayats.
• It aims to digitise revenue administration, improve transparency, and enhance tax collection efficiency.

Key Features

• The portal manages the complete revenue cycle, including taxpayer registration, demand notice generation, online payment, receipt generation, and real-time revenue monitoring.
• It digitises various local revenue sources such as property tax, trade licences, user charges, and other non-tax revenues.
• The portal is already operational in Chhattisgarh and Himachal Pradesh, with over 51 lakh taxpayers registered, demand notices worth ?95 crore generated, and more than ?27 crore collected. Expansion is underway in Maharashtra, Mizoram, Assam, Haryana, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh.