New Delhi, June 23 (UNI): In a major step towards empowering grassroots governance, the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj has partnered with the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad to train panchayats in generating their own revenue and becoming financially self-reliant.



A three-day Training of Trainers (ToT) programme on “Generation of own source revenue by gram panchayats,” was inaugurated by Vivek Bharadwaj, Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj here on Monday, said a statement from the Ministry.



Bharadwaj emphasised the national vision of creating Atmanirbhar (self-reliant) panchayats, with Own Source Revenue (OSR) seen as a key pillar in achieving this goal. He said, “The capacity of panchayats to generate and manage their own revenue is not just about finances—it reflects their leadership, credibility, and institutional maturity.”



Calling the ToT a bridge between knowledge and practice, Bharadwaj urged participants to return to their states with actionable strategies that encourage financial autonomy through local innovation and community engagement.



He also lauded IIM Ahmedabad for developing a research-based, field-aligned training module, and called for greater involvement from states and local functionaries to implement the learnings in mission mode.



States and Union Territories were encouraged to institutionalise revenue planning at the panchayat level, adopt the Ministry’s model frameworks, and replicate similar trainings at state and district levels. “This will help build panchayats that are financially resilient, administratively accountable, and development-ready,” Bharadwaj noted.



Sushil Kumar Lohani, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, outlined several ongoing initiatives for fiscal empowerment, including the development of Model OSR Rules and a digital tax collection portal tailored to local needs. These, he said, will enhance transparency, ease of collection, and digital integration.



The training modules, developed and delivered by faculty from IIM Ahmedabad, focus on both theoretical and practical dimensions of revenue generation.



Addressing the gathering, Prof. Ranjan Kumar Ghosh from IIM Ahmedabad said the programme aims to transform panchayat governance from administrative compliance to proactive, citizen-centric financial planning.



UNI AJ