KOCHI — The Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Government of India, in collaboration with the Local Self Government Department of Kerala, conducted the third Outreach Workshop on the Atmanirbhar Panchayat Programme in Kochi.
Operated under the aegis of the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA), the initiative brought together over 800 Panchayats in a hybrid format to accelerate grassroots financial self-reliance and sustainable local governance.
Unlocking Local Revenue and Infrastructure Financing
The core objective of the workshop focused on transitioning rural local bodies from subsidy-dependent entities into self-sustaining fiscal units by tapping into local resources:
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Own-Source Revenue (OSR): Vivek Bharadwaj, Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, emphasized that optimizing internal revenue channels and municipal assets is critical for long-term administrative survival and achieving the Viksit Bharat by 2047 mandate.
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Bankable Project Portfolios: Dr. Divya S. Iyer, Principal Director of Kerala’s Local Self Government Department, urged Panchayats to move away from ad-hoc spending and instead draft professional, long-term project proposals to integrate into their Gram Panchayat Development Plans.
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Institutional Funding Models: Representatives from NABARD and HUDCO outlined formal frameworks for financing eligible local projects. Selected Panchayats will receive direct technical handholding to leverage Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds, and commercial institutional finance.
Capacity Building and Operational Framework
Kerala’s established decentralization ecosystem was highlighted as a template for capacity development, with Dr. N. Devidas, Director General of the Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA), detailing the state’s competency-based training models.
The workshop included technical modules detailing:
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The preparation of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs).
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Convergence methodologies with existing central and state asset-creation schemes.
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The implementation of a Challenge Mode process for selecting, evaluating, and technically supporting innovative, revenue-generating project proposals submitted by local bodies.
High-Profile Institutional Attendance
The conclave saw high-level representation from both central and state administrative echelons, including Kerala’s Minister for Local Self Government Department, K. M. Shaji; Principal Secretary Tinku Biswal; and Rajesh Kumar Singh, Joint Secretary at the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj. Out of the participating local bodies, more than 210 delegates attended in person, while nearly 600 Panchayati Raj institutions connected through virtual networks.
