Chandigarh, April 7 -- Chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday ordered a comprehensive crop loss assessment across the state following extensive damage caused by unseasonal rain and hailstorms. Addressing the media here, the CM said that a special girdawari has been ordered so that compensation can be provided as per norms after reports from deputy commissioners. "We have given orders for girdawari, and after conducting it, whoever suffered crop damage will be given compensation. The government is committed to safeguarding farmers' interests and will compensate losses caused by natural calamities," Mann said while speaking to reporters, while presenting a four-year report card of the power department. Currently, the state agriculture department is conducting surveys to determine areas where crop has been damaged. The rainfall has delayed the crop harvest and has further delayed the procurement, which has been started from April 1 by the state agencies. The CM's announcement follows reports of damage to wheat crop in districts, including Amritsar, Bathinda, Muktsar, Hoshiarpur, Tarn Taran, and Fatehgarh Sahib. Farmers had intensified demands for immediate relief on Sunday after a week of inclement weather. CM said that the power sector has undergone a structural turnaround under the AAP government, with the once loss-making department now recording profits even while providing free electricity to 90% of households. "The government has ensured zero electricity bills for the majority of families through 600 units of free power, but also reversed the earlier trend of selling public assets by acquiring the 540 MW Goindwal Thermal Power Plant by improving its efficiency, renamed after Sri Guru Amar Das Ji," he added. He added that the power tariff has been reduced across categories, including commercial and industrial consumers, farmers are receiving uninterrupted power supply, and infrastructure has been strengthened. He said that the government has set a new record by providing cheap and uninterrupted power supply to every sector. On power supply, Mann said, "For the first time, farmers received more than eight hours of power supply during paddy season, with 95% supply ensured during daytime." He further added that 300 units of free electricity per month are being provided to domestic consumers, and around 90% of households are receiving zero electricity bills. Highlighting irrigation reforms, CM asserted that the Bhakra Canal has a capacity of 9,500 cusecs, and it has been increased to 11,000 cusecs. Rajya Sabha member Vikramjit Singh Sahney on Monday urged the Union government to immediately announce a special compensation package for farmers in Punjab who are facing severe losses due to recent unseasonal rains, hailstorms and strong winds. In a letter to Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Sahney claimed that preliminary assessments indicated crop damage between 30% and 70% across the state. "With over 34 lakh hectares under wheat cultivation, the scale of devastation is immense and deeply concerning for the agrarian economy," he said, appreciating the Punjab government's decision to order a special girdawari to assess losses. Senior SAD leader and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, through a letter, also urged the Union agriculture minister to send a special team to Punjab to assess the damage and release a special compensation package. She further appealed to him to issue directions to defer interest on loans taken by affected farmers from cooperative societies for one year, besides issuing fertilisers to these farmers on concessional rates. "This will go a long way in helping them get back on their feet," she added. Meanwhile, party leader Bikram Singh Majithia demanded immediate compensation of Rs.50,000 per acre from the state government. He also urged the government to bring a law in the upcoming assembly session to ensure compensation not just for crops but also for losses to fruits, flowers and vegetables. Issuing a statement, Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said the standard "token announcement" by the state government to conduct girdawari of the damaged crops will not serve any purpose and was meant to just mislead farmers.He questioned what was to be surveyed when the crops over entire fields were lying flattened. He said if the state government's intentions were clear, it will provide immediate interim relief to the farmers and not wait for survey reports. The Ludhiana MP said he had written to Union minister Chouhan and will be meeting him in Delhi for immediate assistance after visiting the affected areas. "Farmers cannot wait for the state government's survey. Nobody knows when the survey will be completed and when will the compensation be paid when the past experience has been 'disappointing'," he said....