Sahara Refund
Amit Shah, the Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, has recently introduced a dedicated portal to expedite the refund process for the Sahara Group of Cooperative Societies depositors. This move comes in response to a Supreme Court order on March 29, directing the transfer of ₹5,000 crore from the “Sahara-SEBI Refund Account” to the Cooperative Refinancing and Credit Societies (CRCS) for the reimbursement of investors involved in Sahara Cooperative Societies. The portal was launched in New Delhi, with the government assuring depositors that their stuck funds from the Sahara scam would be returned.
Deadline for Claiming CRCS Sahara Refund:
The government has not set a deadline for submitting refund requests through the CRCS Sahara Refund Portal.
Eligibility Criteria for Sahara Refund:
Amit Shah announced that the first payment, up to ₹10,000, would be made to one crore investors who had deposited ₹10,000 or more. Subsequently, after the ₹5,000 crore payment, another appeal will be made to return the remaining amount to other depositors in Sahara Cooperative Societies. Depositors of Sahara Credit Cooperative Society Limited, Saharayan Universal Multipurpose Society Limited, and Hamara India Credit Cooperative Society Limited, who made deposits before March 22, 2022, are eligible for the refund. Additionally, depositors of Stars Multipurpose Cooperative Society Limited, who made deposits before March 29, 2023, are also eligible.
Claim Process and Required Documents:
To ensure a streamlined process, the government has made it mandatory for depositors to file their claims online through the CRCS Sahara Refund Portal, with no fees charged for submissions. To initiate the claim, depositors must provide essential documents, including their Membership Number, Deposited Account Number, Aadhaar linked with an active mobile number, and Certificate/Passbook details of the deposit.
The step-by-step process for claiming a Sahara refund is as follows:
- Visit CRCS- Sahara Refund Portal.
- On the Depositor Registration page, provide the 12-digit Membership Number, the last 4 digits of the Aadhaar Number, a 10-digit Aadhaar-linked Mobile Number, and a captcha.
- On the Depositor Login page, enter the last 4 digits of the Aadhaar Number and the 10-digit Aadhaar-linked Mobile Number.
- Click on “Get OTP” and enter the received OTP.
- Give consent and agree to the terms and conditions by clicking “I Agree.”
- On the Personal Details screen, enter the 12-digit Aadhaar Number and click “Get OTP” to validate the details.
- Provide the necessary details regarding the Certificate of Deposit.
- Click on “Submit Claim.”
- Fill in the claim details accurately, as corrections are not allowed after submission.
- Attach a photograph as proof and sign the claim along with the PAN card document by clicking “Upload Document.”
- Note down the claim request for future reference.
Processing and Disbursement:
Following the claim submission, Sahara Society will verify and process the claim within 30 days from the submission date. After verification, the Authorized Verifiers and CRCS will handle further processing within 15 days. The refund amount will be credited to the depositor’s bank account within 45 days after filing the online claim, subject to fund availability and verification. Depositors will be intimated of the refund status through SMS/Portal.
PAN Number Mandatory:
Depositors must provide PAN card details mandatorily if the claim amount is ₹50,000 and above across all Sahara Societies. Additionally, depositors should have an Aadhaar-linked mobile number and an Aadhaar-seeded bank account, without which the claim request cannot be filed on the portal. Upon successful claim filing, an acknowledgement number will be displayed on the portal, and a confirmation SMS will be sent to the depositor’s registered mobile number.
How to Check Refund Status on the Sahara Refund Portal?
Within three weeks of launching the Sahara Refund portal, Union Minister for Cooperation, Amit Shah, initiated the first refund instalment of Rs 10,000 to 112 depositors who had requested it through the CRCS-Sahara Refund Portal on August 4, 2023.
“The first instalment of Rs 10,000 each has been transferred to 112 beneficiaries. As per the official Twitter, 18 lakh people have registered on the portal,” stated Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah.
How to Confirm Receipt of Refund?
Depositors will receive an SMS or email notification about the refund credited to their bank account. Additionally, they will receive a notification via SMS/Email about the approval status of their claim request.
According to a press release by PIB dated July 18, 2023, the first payment of up to Rs 10,000 will be disbursed through this portal to one crore investors who have deposited Rs 10,000 or more. Amit Shah highlighted that complete data of all four societies is available online for application on this portal.
Refund Distribution Mechanism:
To receive a refund from the Sahara portal, depositors must have an Aadhaar-linked mobile number and an Aadhaar-seeded bank account. Without linking the bank accounts with Aadhaar, depositors cannot submit claims.
As the Sahara refund portal website emphasises, Aadhaar seeding facilitates secure fund transfers to the depositor’s authentic bank account, ensuring transparency and accuracy.
An acknowledgement number will be displayed on the portal upon successfully filing a claim. In addition, a confirmation SMS will be sent to the depositor’s registered mobile number, confirming the claim submission.
Conclusion
The introduction of the CRCS Sahara Refund Portal by Amit Shah is a crucial step in resolving the long-standing issue of stuck funds for depositors of Sahara Cooperative Societies. With an efficient and transparent online process, eligible depositors can now claim their refunds within 45 days, bringing relief to millions of investors across the country.
