Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act, 1958
The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act aims to preserve and protect the country’s rich heritage and cultural assets.
The act was passed in 1958 and has since undergone several amendments to keep pace with changing times.
The AMASR Act defines an “ancient monument” as any structure or building, cave, sculpture, inscription, or monolith that is of historical, archaeological, or artistic interest.
The act aims to protect such monuments and ensure their preservation for future generations.
It applies to all monuments that are over 100 years old, whether they are in public or private ownership.
The act prohibits any construction activity or alteration to the protected area around ancient monuments without the approval of the National Monuments Authority (NMA).
This protected area is defined as a 100-metre radius around the monument, and a regulated area extends up to 200 metres beyond that.
National Monuments Authority (NMA):
The NMA is the regulatory authority responsible for implementing the AMASR Act.
It is a statutory body that oversees the protection and preservation of ancient monuments and archaeological sites in India.
It is empowered to grant permission for any construction or developmental activity within the protected and regulated areas.
Why it is in news?
A parliamentary panel has observed that the provision of 100-metre prohibited area and 200-metre regulated area around all monuments protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has pitted the local community against these heritage structures in many places as they find it difficult to carry out necessary repair work of their residential spaces.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport Tourism and Culture has asked the government to revise the rules to make them realistic.
It has also recommended rationalising the application of such rules based on the historical significance of the monuments.
The prohibited and restricted area provision was introduced in 2010 through an amendment to the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act, 1958.
The same set of rules apply to both significant and insignificant monuments.
It also recommended that the list of all 3,691 ASI-protected monuments be rationalised and categorised based on their national significance, unique architectural value and specific heritage content.
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