BAHAWALPUR, May 11: The district food department will forcibly buy the 39,000 wheat bags allegedly hoarded by seven influential individuals, five ginners of Hasilpur among them, within few days.

Officials of the department found such a huge stock during raids at the godowns of these people, District Food Controller Chaudhry Abdul Ghafoor told Dawn on Tuesday.

He said the five ginners and two businessmen had failed to hand over the stocks to the government and now the department would purchase those forcibly. The decision has been taken in the wake of Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi's order to crack down on illegal wheat hoarders from tomorrow (Thursday).

The chief minister has also directed the police to arrest those hoarders, who will resist the action. Meanwhile, Bahawalpur Division Deputy Director (food) Qayyum Lashari told this correspondent that 310,708 tons (56.49 per cent) of the target of 550,000 tons wheat had been procured so far.

According to breakdown, Bahawalpur had procured 92,390 tons of wheat, Bahawalnagar 168,261 and Rahim Yar Khan 50,057 tons of the crop. The department has also served notices on eight procurement centres' heads in Bahawalpur for their failure to meet the official target.