Chandigarh, April 9 -- Punjab agriculture minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian on Wednesday urged the Centre to immediately send a high-level team to assess the damage caused to wheat and other rabi crops by recent rainfall and hailstorm. According to a preliminary assessment by the state agriculture department, crop loss has been reported on over 1.3-lakh acres across the state. In a letter to Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Khudian highlighted the severe impact of inclement weather on wheat crop. Wheat was sown over 35 lakh hectares during the current rabi season. The incessant rainfall and hailstorm have caused significant damage, pushing farmers into deep distress, Khudian added. He further added that the damage is not limited to wheat only as vegetables, fodder and other rabi crops have also been hit across multiple districts, including Fazilka, Ferozepur, Muktsar Sahib, Bathinda, Amritsar, Moga and Mansa. The crop loss is threatening the livelihoods of farmers and the state's agrarian economy, the minister said. Khudian said the state has already ordered a special 'girdawari' to assess the crop damage, and given the scale of losses, he had sought immediate relief and compensation from the Centre. Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring has urged Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to intervene following extensive crop damage caused by rain and hailstorm across Punjab. In a letter to the Union minister, Warring sought a crop damage assessment, enhanced compensation aligned with actual losses, and swift disbursal of relief funds. HTC...