Imphal, Aug. 5: Union minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju said the Centre would consider if the Okram Ibobi Singh government comes up with a "concrete proposal" for safeguarding the interest of the indigenous people of Manipur.

Rijiju and DoNER minister Jitendra Singh arrived here today to assess the flood situation in the state.

Rijiju's statement came as Manipur is facing a violent agitation demanding implementation of inner- line permits (ILP) in the state to protect the indigenous people from unchecked entry by outsiders.

As the two Union ministers were doing an aerial survey of the floods, people came out in the streets in the valley to block roads by burning tyres and other materials as part of a 48-hour general strike in support of ILP.

The general strike was called at 6pm yesterday by the student wing of Joint Committee on ILP, a public conglomerate that has been spearheading the movement.

"We can't comment until a final decision is taken and a concrete proposal comes from the state government. If the state government can make an alternative suggestion that can satisfy the agitators we will definitely look into it," Rijiju told reporters here.

A five-member drafting committee headed by law minister Th. Devendra Singh submitted a draft bill for protection of the local people to the chief minister yesterday.

The government drafted the bill after an earlier one - Manipur Regulation of Visitors, Tenants and Migrants Workers Bill, which was passed in March this year, was withdrawn on July 15 after the joint committee rejected the bill, maintaining that the provisions of the bill could not protect the interest of local people.

Despite an appeal by chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh to the joint committee to discuss the draft bill, the general strike continued. The student wing of the joint committee has also been demanding punishment for police personnel responsible for the death of student ILP supporter Sapam Robinhood during police crackdown on July 8 and against those personnel who committed excesses on student protesters on Monday.

Sounds of rubber bullets and tear gas shell firing by the police to disperse agitators from roadblocks continued to be heard throughout the day in and around Imphal.

Media persons in Imphal complained that ILP supporters blocking the roads had been hampering their free movement for duty.