The Ministry of Cooperation has disbursed ₹6,841.86 croreto 35.44 lakh depositorsof the Sahara Group’s multi-state cooperative societies, Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
According to the minister, the refunds have been issued to depositors who filed claims through the CRCS–Sahara Refund Portaland the Re-submission Portal. A total of 1.41 crore applications have been received so far. Each verified depositor is currently eligible for a payment of up to ₹50,000, transferred directly into their Aadhaar-linked bank accounts.
Shah said the ministry is taking “all possible steps” to ensure timely payments to genuine claimants. The Supreme Court has extended the refund timeline until December 31, 2026, allowing more time for scrutiny and processing of claims.
All applications are examined digitally based on valid identification and deposit proof. The system follows a structured Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), updated periodically to improve efficiency. In cases where deficiencies are found, applicants are notified to correct and resubmit their claims through the portal launched on November 15, 2023.
The refund mechanism is entirely paperless and is being monitored by Justice R. Subhash Reddy (Retd.), with assistance from amicus curiae Gaurav Agrawal.
The CRCS–Sahara refund process covers four Sahara Group multi-state cooperative societies:
- Sahara Credit Cooperative Society Ltd., Lucknow
- Saharayn Universal Multipurpose Society Ltd., Bhopal
- Humara India Credit Cooperative Society Ltd., Kolkata
- Stars Multipurpose Cooperative Society Ltd., Hyderabad
The portal, launched following the Supreme Court’s order dated March 23, 2023, enables depositors to file claims for refund of their legitimate dues.
