LAHORE - The Punjab government on Friday launched a massive crackdown against the hoarders of sugar and recovered more than 20,000 tons of white refined sugar, stashed at various godowns in different parts the province. Sources disclosed the government had sealed over two dozen godowns in various parts of the province while more than 20 hoarders had been arrested. Police and officials of the district governments are conducting joint raids against the hoarders all over the Punjab while intelligence agencies have been given the task of exposing those involved in sugar hoarding, police sources said. The police and district government officials carried out joint raid at Adam Sugar Mills in Chishtian, Bahawalnagar district and recovered 15,000 tons of sugar, stashed at more than 12 different godowns in the area, during a successful operation on Friday. Sources said that all the godowns had been sealed and cases had been registered against the persons involved in hoarding of sugar. We hope that the sugar price will fall substantially in the open market as massive crackdown against the hoarders is under way, Secretary Food Punjab Irfan Elahi said, when contacted. He also said that the government and law enforcement agencies would carry out raids at the sugar mills, where undeclared sugar stocks would be kept. The mills cannot keep more than 50 trucksloads of sugar at their godowns. The government can take strict action against the millers, exceeding the prescribed sugar stocks, a senior official of the Punjab government told this reporter after the meeting of Chief Secretary Punjab with the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) concluded here on Friday. During the meeting, the PSMA representatives also agreed that the sugar mills would sell at least 50 to 70 per cent of the total production by the end of this month. In Lahore, the police teams headed by SSP (Operations) Ch Shafique raided a godown situated at Shamnagar in Gulshan-e-Ravi area and recovered 10,000 bags of sugar. The police also arrested four accused including one of the owners of the godown and registered a case against them. District government Faisalabad and police in a joint raid at a godown of a factory seized 2400 sacks of white refined sugar on Friday. The police sources informed that heavy police contingents had carried out an armed raid at a godown of a factory on tip-off. They raided after receiving information from secret sources that thousands of bags of sugar had been stashed at a godown of a factory in Faisalabad area. The police arrested five persons who were involved in hoarding scam and registered a case against the godown owner. The police have also sealed the godown. Further investigations were underway. Police contingents also raided several godowns in Chichawatni and recovered more than 14,500 bags of sugar. Police sealed all the godowns and arrested three persons from the godown after recovering the sugar. Police officials also claimed the crackdown was under way as the police were conducting raids across Punjab against the elements involved in sugar hoarding. It is to be noted here that the government and the law enforcing agencies launched crackdown all over the province after Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had ordered that the elements involved in the hoarding of sugar should be taken to task and their sugar stocks should be brought in the market within 24 hours and sold at the fixed rate. According to an official handout, the Chief Minister said protection of interests of the common man was the responsibility of the government and it would discharge all its obligations in this regard efficiently. He directed that action against hoarders and profiteers should be taken without any discrimination. He was presiding over a high level meeting at Chief Ministers Secretariat here on Friday regarding hoarding and profiteering of sugar and problems of the people. Chief Secretary, Inspector General Police, Secretary Food as well as senior officers concerned were present on the occasion. Chief Secretary and Secretary Food informed the Chief Minister about sugar stocks and other details.