Source: The New Indian Express
Context
The Union Minister of Panchayati Raj launched the Atmanirbhar Panchayat Programme and the SAMARTH Panchayat Portal. The Programme helps Gram Panchayats and Block Panchayats convert idle local assets into bankable, revenue-generating projects.
Part A — Atmanirbhar Panchayat Programme
What It Is
- An initiative of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, anchored under the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA).
- Assists Gram and Block Panchayats in identifying idle local assets and untapped opportunities and converting them into bankable, revenue-generating projects.
Aim
- Build sustainable Own Sources of Revenue (OSR) for Panchayati Raj Institutions.
- Reduce fiscal dependency on central and state grants.
Part B — SAMARTH Panchayat Portal
What It Is
- A unified, configurable national digital platform for end-to-end management of OSR for Gram Panchayats.
Aim
- Digitise, streamline and standardise the complete OSR lifecycle, improving fiscal transparency, tax collection efficiency and accountability in rural tax administration.
Features
- End-to-end lifecycle management: taxpayer registration, automated demand notice generation, online digital payment, receipt collection and real-time revenue monitoring.
- Standardisation of local taxes: property tax, user charges, trade licences and non-tax fees.
- Track record: already active in Chhattisgarh and Himachal Pradesh, with over 51 lakh taxpayers registered, demand notices worth ₹95 crore generated and more than ₹27 crore collected.
- Phased pan-India expansion: onboarding underway in Maharashtra, Mizoram, Assam, Haryana, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh.
