Atmanirbhar Panchayat Programme and SAMARTH Portal Launched

Atmanirbhar Panchayat Programme and SAMARTH Portal Launched

#GS-2 #Indian Polity & Constitution #Local Government #Governance & Social Justice #E-Governance #GS-3 #Economy #Current Events #National #Atmanirbhar Panchayat Programme #SAMARTH Portal #Own Sources of Revenue

Why in News

  • The Union Minister of Panchayati Raj recently launched the **Atmanirbhar Panchayat Programme** alongside the **SAMARTH Panchayat Portal**.

About The Atmanirbhar Panchayat Programme

  • The **Ministry of Panchayati Raj** runs this initiative under the **Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA)** framework to help local bodies convert unused resources into profitable projects.
  • The central **Ministry of Panchayati Raj** directly controls and oversees the execution of this strategic initiative.
  • This initiative aims to create strong **Own Sources of Revenue (OSR)** for panchayats, cutting down their dependence on government grants.

Key Features of Atmanirbhar Panchayat Programme

  • The government plans to build **350 projects** over **4 years**, starting with **50 projects** in the **1st year** and **100 projects** each in the following **three years**.
  • Gram Panchayats need an annual internal revenue of **₹50 lakh** and Block Panchayats need **₹1 crore** to qualify, with at least **3 years** left in their tenure.
  • The ministry provides direct expert technical support to shape local village ideas into commercially viable proposals that banks can fund.
  • The programme uses diverse funding models like **Public-Private Partnerships (PPP)**, **CSR** funds, scheme merging, and commercial bank credit.

About the SAMARTH Panchayat Portal

  • The **SAMARTH Panchayat Portal** is a single nationwide digital system designed to manage all revenue generation processes for Gram Panchayats.
  • This platform digitizes and unifies rural tax collection to improve financial openness, efficiency, and operational accountability.

Key Features of SAMARTH Panchayat Portal

  • The portal handles all revenue steps online, including taxpayer sign-ups, automated demand notices, digital payments, receipts, and live tracking.
  • It digitizes diverse local income sources such as property taxes, service charges, trade licenses, and non-tax fees into a unified platform.
  • The system operates successfully in **Chhattisgarh** and **Himachal Pradesh**, enrolling over **51 lakh** taxpayers and collecting more than **₹27 crore** in revenue.
  • The central government is currently expanding the platform to **Maharashtra**, **Mizoram**, **Assam**, **Haryana**, **West Bengal**, and **Uttar Pradesh**.