Activists of the Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) on Tuesday blocked all four gates of the District Administrative Complex (DAC) in Bathinda, preventing officers, other employees and visitors from entering the premises as their day-and-night protest entered its second day.The protesters, who had started the agitation on Monday as part of a state-wide call by the union, gathered at all entry and exit points of the DAC and did not allow anyone to enter the complex.A large number of farmers, agricultural labourers and women from various villages had joined the protest on Monday under the leadership of union senior vice-president Jhanda Singh Jethuke.The protesters are demanding withdrawal of the proposed land pooling policy, enactment of a debt relief law, compensation and jobs for families of farmers who died by suicide, and withdrawal of cases registered during farmers’ agitations and over stubble burning.They are also opposing the proposed India-US free trade agreement, claiming it would adversely affect agriculture and other sectors.Jethuke announced that they would not allow anyone to enter the DAC until noon and would announce the further programme thereafter.Meanwhile, government employees were seen waiting at nearby places for the situation to normalise.In Barnala and Mansa districts too, farmers intensified their protests and barred entry to the District Administrative Complexes.


