Lok Sabha Question No. 3598 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-17
Subject: Refund from Sahara Group Co-operatives
Ministry: COOPERATION
Asked by: Shri Y S Avinash Reddy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COOPERATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 3598 TO BE ANSWERED ON 17 TH  DECEMBER, 2024

## Refund from Sahara Group Co-operatives

## 3598 # Shri Y S Avinash Reddy:

Will the Minister of Cooperation ( सहकारिता मंत्री ) be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken any steps to remit the money deposited by crores of investors of Sahara Group Co-operative societies;
- (b) if so, whether the remittance has commenced; and
- (c) the details of provisions made to ensure authenticity of these investors?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF COOPERATION सहकारिता मंत्री (SHRI AMIT SHAH)

- (a)  to  (c):  In  an  Interlocutory Application  filed  by  the  Ministry  of  Cooperation  in WP  (C) No.191/2022 (Pinak Pani Mohanty vs UoI & ors.), the Hon'ble Supreme Court on 29.03.2023 inter alia ordered that:
- '(i) Out of the total amount of Rs. 24,979.67 Crores lying in the 'Sahara-SEBI Refund Account',  Rs.  5000  Crores  be  transferred  to  the  Central  Registrar  of  Cooperative Societies,  who,  in  turn,  shall  disburse  the  same  against  the  legitimate  dues  of  the depositors  of  the  Sahara  Group  of  Cooperative  Societies,  which  shall  be  paid  to  the genuine depositors in the most transparent manner and on proper identification and on submitting proof of their deposits and proof of their claims and to be deposited in their respective bank accounts directly.
- (ii) The disbursement shall be supervised and monitored by Justice R. Subhash Reddy, Former Judge of this Court with the able assistance of Shri Gaurav Agarwal, learned Advocate, who is appointed as Amicus Curiae to assist Justice R. Subhash Reddy as well as the Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies in disbursing the amount to the genuine depositors of the Sahara Group of Cooperative Societies. The manner and modalities for making the payment is to be worked out by the Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies in  consultation  with  Justice  R.  Subhash  Reddy,  Former  Judge  of  this  Court  and  Shri Gaurav Agarwal, learned Advocate.'

In  compliance  of  the  Hon'ble  Supreme  Court's  Order  dated  29.03.2023,  an  Online Portal  'CRCS-Sahara  refund  portal'  https://mocrefund.crcs.gov.in    has  been  launched  on 18.07.2023 for submission of claims by the genuine depositors of four Multi-State Cooperative Societies  of  Sahara  Group,  namely;  Sahara  Credit  Cooperative  Society  Ltd.,  Lucknow, Saharayn  Universal  Multipurpose  Society  Ltd.,  Bhopal,  Humara  India  Credit  Cooperative Society Ltd., Kolkata and Stars Multipurpose Cooperative Society Ltd., Hyderabad for refund of their legitimate deposits. Entire process of disbursement is digital and paperless and is being carried out under the supervision and monitoring of Justice R. Subhash Reddy, Former Judge of Hon'ble Supreme Court with the assistance of Shri Gaurav Agrawal, Amicus Curiae.

Applications  received  on  the  Portal  are  being  processed  in  transparent  manner,  on proper identification and on submitting proof of their identity and deposits. The payment is being deposited directly in Aadhaar seeded bank account of the genuine depositors. Presently, payment only upto Rs.50,000/- is being disbursed to each genuine depositor of the Sahara Group of Cooperative Societies against verified claims through Aadhaar seeded Bank account.

Further, in case of any deficiency found in the application of the depositor on the portal, deficiencies are being conveyed to them for re-submission of their application through the resubmission portal already launched on 15.11.2023.

An amount of Rs.1,441 Crore has been released to 9,11,043 depositors of Sahara Group of Cooperative Societies upto 11.12.2024.

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