Srinagar , Sept 18 (KNS) : JKPC General Secretary and President of the All Jammu & Kashmir Shia Association, Molvi Imran Reza Ansari, has strongly demanded immediate government intervention to resolve the prolonged crisis facing depositors of the Sher-e-Kashmir Agricultural and Rural Development Bank (SCARD Bank).

In a statement shared on X, Ansari said that in April 2026, the Government had assured the Legislative Assembly that the liquidation process of SCARD Bank would be resolved within one to two months. However, more than five months have passed, while nearly 22,000 depositors across Jammu & Kashmir continue to await access to approximately ?183 crore of their own hard-earned savings.

Ansari said the issue must not be treated merely as a technical matter involving files, figures or balance sheets. “These are people’s life savings,” he said, pointing to the difficulties being faced by affected families, including elderly pensioners struggling to arrange money for medical treatment, parents facing difficulty in paying their children’s educational fees, and families being forced to postpone marriages and other essential commitments because their savings remain inaccessible.

“Government assurances do not pay hospital bills. They do not pay college fees. They do not meet wedding expenses. And they certainly do not return people’s hard-earned savings,” Ansari said.

He said the Government cannot indefinitely ask depositors to wait behind the technicalities of liquidation. Ansari noted that SCARD Bank is being dealt with under the J&K Cooperative Societies framework and that the Government has acknowledged that DICGC protection does not apply, making a clear government-backed solution even more urgent.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel

Ansari further pointed out that the Government has already stated that depositor liabilities have been compiled and KYC verification across the branches has been undertaken. He questioned what, therefore, was preventing the Government from placing a concrete financial mechanism and a definite timeline before the Legislative Assembly.

With the autumn session of the Legislative Assembly scheduled to begin on September 21, Ansari urged the Government to come before the House with more than another assurance.

He demanded that the Government present a clear financial provisioning plan, a transparent disbursement mechanism and a definite timeline for returning the verified deposits to the affected account holders.

“Five months after the original promise, another deadline without action will mean very little to a pensioner waiting for treatment, a parent struggling to pay a child’s fees, or a family whose savings are locked when they need them most,” Ansari said.

He stressed that the affected depositors are not seeking any favour from the Government but simply asking for access to their own money.

“On September 21, the Government must provide answers and a concrete roadmap. These are not favours being sought from the Government. These are people asking for access to their own money,” he added.(KNS)