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

Union Minister Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh launched the Atmanirbhar Panchayat Programme, the SAMARTH Panchayat Portal and Model Own Source of Revenue (OSR) Rules to strengthen Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs). The programme aims to convert local assets into bankable, revenue‑generating projects, targeting 350 projects over four years with financing through PPPs, CSR, scheme convergence and bank loans, and eligibility criteria of Rs 50 lakh OSR for Gram Panchayats and Rs 1 crore for Block Panchayats. SAMARTH is a unified digital platform that enables online registration, demand generation, payment and real‑time monitoring of Panchayat revenues, with over 51 lakh taxpayers, Rs 95 crore demand notices and Rs 27 crore collected so far. The Model OSR Rules provide a uniform framework for states to assess, collect and manage Panchayat revenues, aligning with the Sixteenth Finance Commission recommendations. The initiatives were recognised with Gold Awards at the National Awards for e‑Governance 2026.