Imphal, Dec. 1: Barely three days after an economic blockade by two tribal student organisations was called off, a Naga association announced another three-day blockade on the two national highways passing through Manipur in protest against the government?s refusal to accept the 2001 census figures for the hill districts.

The Naga People?s Organisation of Senapati district said the blockade ? beginning midnight tomorrow ? was necessitated by the Okram Ibobi Singh government?s biased stand against the hill districts.

The government rejected the census figures on the ground that the decadal population growth in most of the hilly areas was ?abnormal?. It resolved to maintain status quo on the figures till these were ?rectified?. A fresh enumeration exercise in Senapati and Chandel districts failed because residents of these areas refused to co-operate with the census officials in protest against the government?s rejection of the original figures.

Accusing the government of being indifferent to the problems of the hill districts, the Naga People?s Organisation threatened to extend the proposed blockade if the impasse over the census figures continued. This is the second economic blockade over the issue in a month. The United Naga Council, which is the apex organisation of the community, and a couple of other organisations had previously imposed a 10-day blockade on the two national highways.

The state has yet to recover from the impact of the last such agitation. Some fuel outlets in Imphal were shut during the past two days because of depleting stocks.

The All Naga Students? Association, Manipur, and the Kuki Students? Organisation had imposed an indefinite economic blockade on the Imphal-Dimapur and Imphal-Silchar routes from midnight on November 25. The agitation was called off three days later after the Ibobi Singh government assured in writing that their demands would be fulfilled.

The demands include steps to ensure that the office of the additional director of school education (hills) functions properly, computer centres in 15 hill blocks and a judicial inquiry into the death of three Kuki students in an alleged fake encounter last month.