Chandigarh, April 8 -- Punjab agriculture minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian on Tuesday said wheat crop over more than 1.25 lakh acres had been damaged in seven districts of the state due to recent rainfall, hail and strong winds, and assured that affected farmers will get compensation for the loss. He said the affected districts were Amritsar, Muktsar, Fazilka, Bathinda, Mansa, Ferozepur and Moga, adding that Fazilka reported crop damage over 45,000 acres of land, followed by 43,000 acres in Muktsar and 20,000 acres in Bathinda. Speaking to reporters in Muktsar, minister Khudian said over 500 government officials, including 145 from the agriculture department and rest from the revenue department, had been deputed to conduct girdawari to assess the damage. On Monday, chief minister Bhagwant Mann had ordered an assessment of crop loss caused by inclement weather, reiterating the state's priority to provide immediate relief to affected farmers. "The government is committed to safeguarding farmers' interests and will compensate losses caused by natural calamities as per the prescribed norms. The affected farmers will receive their due after the reports submitted by the deputy commissioners," said a government spokesperson. The meteorological department has forecast further rainfall over the next 24 hours, raising farmers' worries. After days of rainy weather, Tuesday began with clear skies, offering hope to farmers preparing to begin harvesting. However, conditions deteriorated rapidly by evening as dense clouds gathered and showers made a comeback. "Harvesting has come to a standstill due to high moisture in fields. We had just started preparations after a brief sunny spell, but this rain has delayed harvesting by at least five to seven days," said Gurbachan Singh Gill, a farmer from Ferozepur, adding that prolonged moisture could also affect grain quality....