Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Feb 3: The Ministry of Cooperation announced on Tuesday that a total of Rs 8,429.42 crore has been disbursed to 39,46,550 depositors of the Sahara Group of Cooperative Societies as of January 20, 2026. Uttar Pradesh received the largest share of Rs 2,228.27 crore, followed by Rs 1,892.89 crore in Bihar and Rs 847.67 crore in Jharkhand.

The Supreme Court has ordered an additional Rs 5,000 crore to be transferred from the “Sahara-SEBI Refund Account” to the Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies (CRCS) and extended the deadline for refund disbursement to December 31, 2026.

Refunds are being processed transparently through the CRCS-Sahara Refund Portal, requiring depositors to submit proof of identity and deposits. Payments up to Rs 50,000 are being credited directly to Aadhaar-linked bank accounts of verified depositors. Any deficiencies in applications are communicated to depositors for re-submission through the portal launched on November 15, 2023.

The Supreme Court’s March 29, 2023, order had mandated that out of Rs 24,979.67 crore in the Sahara-SEBI Refund Account, Rs 5,000 crore be transferred to the CRCS for disbursement to genuine depositors of four Sahara multi-state cooperative societies: 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.

The refund process is being monitored and supervised by former Supreme Court judge Justice R. Subhash Reddy, with assistance from Amicus Curiae Advocate Gaurav Agarwal, ensuring compliance with the Court’s directives and proper distribution to genuine depositors.

The portal for submitting claims can be accessed at https://mocrefund.crcs.gov.in.