Atmanirbhar Panchayat Programme to focus on strengthening financial self-reliance of Panchayats
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Government of India, is organizing an outreach workshop on the Atmanirbhar Panchayat Programme on 2 May 2026 at National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRD&PR), Rajendra Nagar, Hyderabad. The outreach workshop will be inaugurated by Shri Vivek Bharadwaj, Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj in the presence of Smt. Mukta Shekhar, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Shri M. Dana Kishore, Special Chief Secretary, Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Department, Government of Telangana, other senior officers of the State Government, faculty-members of NIRD&PR, senior officers of Housing and Urban Development Corporation Limited (HUDCO) and National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and Panchayat representatives and functionaries from across Telangana.
The outreach workshop will introduce participants to the vision, objectives and operational framework of the Atmanirbhar Panchayat Programme, a forward-looking initiative of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj under the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA). Shri Vivek Bharadwaj, Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, will deliver the keynote address outlining the vision of the Atmanirbhar Panchayat Programme, followed by a detailed presentation on the national policy objectives, technical roadmap and expected outcomes. A live, end-to-end demonstration of the Atmanirbhar Panchayat Portal will walk participants through the application workflow and digital dashboards, making the process accessible and transparent for Panchayats at every level. An interactive Question and Answer session will provide all stakeholders a valuable opportunity to engage directly with the Ministry and gain clarity on participation. The State of Telangana will also articulate its commitment and priorities under the Programme, setting a tone of active partnership between the Centre and the State. Public sector organizations like HUDCO and NABARD are supporting the programme with their expertise in rural project development and possible financial support.
The Atmanirbhar Panchayat Programme is designed to support eligible Gram Panchayats and Block Panchayats in developing and implementing financially viable, bankable projects that strengthen their Own Sources of Revenue (OSR). Through a transparent national challenge process, selected proposals from Panchayats will receive dedicated technical assistance from project development to financial closure, with support spanning Public-Private Partnerships, CSR funding, bank finance and convergence with other government schemes. Community participation in planning will be ensured through mandatory consent by the Gram Sabhas. Ideas will come from the Panchayats and the technical assistance will develop the winning ideas into bankable projects. Over its four-year implementation period, the Programme aspires to build a new generation of self-reliant, economically confident Panchayats, each a living demonstration that financial independence and good local governance go hand in hand.
In the vision of the Ministry, an Atmanirbhar Panchayat is the surest foundation of an Atmanirbhar Bharat. In recent years, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj has consistently endeavoured to make Panchayats self‑reliant (Atmanirbhar). From collaborating with IIM Ahmedabad to train Panchayats in generating Own Source Revenue, to launching the SAMARTH Panchayat Portal, a digital platform that streamlines and digitizes revenue processes for efficient online collection and monitoring under the OSR framework, the focus has been on strengthening fiscal autonomy. To further encourage excellence, the Atma Nirbhar Panchayat Special Award (ANPSA) has been instituted to recognize well‑performing Panchayats.
