FAISALABAD, Jan 26: The Punjab government has decided to launch a crackdown on defaulters to achieve the recovery target.

According to a source, the district coordination officers have been directed to accelerate the pace of recovery of dues from defaulters and take legal action against them. The crackdown has been initiated following reports that some big defaulters had started seeking help of legislators for a further delay in payment of dues.

The source said the crackdown would be launched in commercial areas of big cities in the first phase, while in the second phase action would be taken against farmers who had obtained loans from financial institutions, but failed to pay back the same on time.

He said the government had already expressed its reservations about low progress in the recovery campaign and directed the revenue officers and heads of financial institutions to strike deals with the defaulters instead of approaching courts for the recovery of longstanding dues. The revenue officers had also been warned that action would be taken against them in case they failed to show satisfactory performance.

Millions of rupees have been outstanding against the defaulters of the Agricultural Development Bank, Irrigation, Water Management, Baitul Maal, Excise and Taxation, House Building Finance Cooperation and other financial institutions for the last so many years. But despite efforts, the agencies concerned have failed to achieve the recovery target.

Meanwhile, Executive District Officer (Revenue) Chaudhry Mohammad Ashraf, while presiding over a meeting of the revenue officers, here on Monday last said Rs182.728 million had been recovered from the defaulters during the first six months of the current fiscal.

LOOTED: Dacoits made off with cash, gold ornaments, five motorcycles and a wagon besides injuring two persons in different strikes here during the last 24 hours.