Guwahati, July 10: Dispur tabled a bill to extend legislative protection to Majuli, the hub of Assam?s Vaishnavite culture, even as a Unesco conference in faraway Lithuania began evaluating the island?s claim to the status of a World Heritage site.

Tabled on the very first day of the budget session, the bill envisages the creation of a Majuli Cultural Landscape Management Authority to facilitate sustainable development and protection of the island?s uniqueness.

The chief secretary or any additional chief secretary, as may be nominated by the government, will be the chairperson of the proposed panel.

The commissioner and secretary of the cultural affairs department will be the vice-chairperson.

The management authorities will also have a chief executive officer, an executive officer and five members, to be nominated by an advisory group.

The local representative in the Lok Sabha, a Rajya Sabha member from the state, the legislator from Majuli and the deputy commissioners of Jorhat, Lakhimpur and Dhemaji districts will be the members of the advisory group.

The authority will have the power to implement management plans, co-ordinate and monitor development activities, prepare and modify necessary guidelines for socio-economic and socio-cultural activities, and draw up disaster mitigation and risk preparedness plans for the area.

The Majuli Cultural Landscape Region Bill, 2006, also proposes to prevent uncontrolled land use, ?disintegrated? development measures, commercial exploitation, incorporation of non-indigenous techniques into sustenance of traditional lifestyle and institutions and regulate tourist inflow.

It will, however, encourage ?heritage and environment-sensitive tourism?.

Cultural affairs minister Gautom Bora tabled the bill, which defines tourists as ?those coming from outside the landscape region and staying there for not more than 10 days?.

The delay in extending legislative protection to Majuli was thought to have spoiled Majuli?s bid for the tag of World Heritage Site. The Assembly had unanimously adopted a resolution on April 1, 2003, to declare the island as a protected area.

The Unesco convention that will decide whether Majuli deserves World Heritage Site status began yesterday and continue till July 16. An Indian delegation left for Lithuania on July 6 to lobby with Unesco.