Atmanirbhar Panchayat drive to promote self reliance in Gujarat

The Ministry of Panchayati Raj will hold an outreach workshop on the Atmanirbhar Panchayat Programme in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, on June 9, aimed at promoting financial self-reliance and sustainable revenue generation among Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs).According to the Ministry, the workshop will bring together senior government officials, representatives of financial institutions and Panchayat leaders to discuss the implementation framework and opportunities under the flagship initiative.
According to information, the event will be attended by Vivek Bharadwaj, Secretary of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj; Mukta Shekhar; Dhananjay Dwivedi; and Gaurav Dahiya. Officials from National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, Housing and Urban Development Corporation, state departments and Panchayat representatives are also expected to participate.The workshop will be conducted in a hybrid format, allowing eligible Gram Panchayats and Block Panchayats across Gujarat to join through video conferencing. Panchayats located near Gandhinagar will attend the programme in person, while others will participate virtually from their respective offices.
The Ministry said the initiative is designed to directly engage Panchayat leaders and functionaries and provide them with a detailed understanding of the vision, objectives and operational framework of the Atmanirbhar Panchayat Programme.The programme agenda includes an address by the Ministry’s Secretary on the vision of the initiative, followed by presentations on policy goals, implementation strategies and expected outcomes. Participants will also witness a live demonstration of the Atmanirbhar Panchayat Portal and take part in an interactive question-and-answer session. Representatives from NABARD and HUDCO will outline financing and technical support mechanisms available under the scheme.
The Atmanirbhar Panchayat Programme is a flagship initiative of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj aimed at strengthening the financial independence of Panchayats by encouraging revenue-generating projects based on local resources and development opportunities.
Under the programme, Panchayats can submit proposals for projects that create sustainable income streams through productive use of local assets. Selected proposals will receive technical assistance to help develop viable and bankable projects.Funding support may be mobilised through public-private partnerships (PPP), corporate social responsibility (CSR) contributions, bank financing and convergence with existing government schemes.The Ministry emphasised that community participation will remain central to the initiative, with Gram Sabha involvement mandated throughout the project planning and implementation process.
Eligibility criteria require Gram Panchayats to have a minimum Own Source Revenue (OSR) of Rs 50 lakh and Block Panchayats to have at least Rs 1 crore in OSR, along with a minimum remaining tenure of three years.Implemented under the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan, the programme seeks to create a new generation of financially self-reliant Panchayats capable of driving local economic development while strengthening grassroots governance.The Ministry has partnered with NABARD and HUDCO to provide institutional expertise in project development and facilitate access to financial resources for eligible Panchayats, supporting their efforts to become engines of local growth and self-sufficiency.

(State Correspondent)