Lok Sabha Question No. 1391 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-09
Subject: Provisions under the AMASR Act
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: Shri B Y Raghavendra

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1391

ANSWERED ON 09.02.2026

## PROVISIONS UNDER THE AMASR ACT

## 1391. SHRI B Y RAGHAVENDRA:

Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  examined  the  rationale  for  uniform  application  of  the  100 meter prohibited and 200 meter regulated areas around all centrally protected monuments under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act, 1958;
- (b) whether the Government has considered or proposes to consider a case-specific or graded approach to balance monument protection with the rights and livelihoods of residents living in nearby areas;
- (c) whether  the  Government  is  aware  that  prior  permission  is  required  even  for  minor  nonstructural maintenance works within regulated areas and whether this requirement has been reviewed;
- (d) whether the Government proposes to review the Act and rules thereunder to exempt minor maintenance works and simplify the approval process; and
- (e) the  details  of  the  steps  taken/being  taken  by  the  Government  to  make  the  permission  or NOC process online, transparent and time-bound?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF CULTURE AND TOURISM (SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

- (a) As  per  Sections  20A  and  20B  of  the  Ancient  Monuments  and  Archaeological  Sites  and Remains  Act,  1958(AMASR  Act),  a  uniform  100  meter  Prohibited  Area  and  200  meter Regulated Area have been prescribed around all protected monuments and protected areas (sites).
- (b) Section 20E of the AMASR Act provide provision for framing Heritage Bye-laws for each protected  monument  and  protected  area  (sites)  to  prescribe  rational  and  context-specific heritage controls within the Prohibited and Regulated Areas. These controls are based on their  significance  and  sensitivity  and  are  designed  to  balance  protection  of  heritage  with development needs and the livelihoods of nearby residents.
- (c) The  AMASR Act provides provision for  prior  permission  for  carrying  out  any  repair  or renovation  of  any  building  or  structure  located  within  the  Regulated  Area  of  a  protected monument and protected areas (sites). Such works are governed under the existing statutory framework.                                                                          -

- (d) There is no such proposal at present.
- (e) The National Monument Authority Online Application Processing System (NOAPS) portal was launched in 2015 for online processing of applications. It has been integrated with 14 States  and  one  Union  Territory,  covering  four  Urban  Local  Bodies  under  the  Single Window System and 1,407 Urban Local Bodies under the Non-Single Window System. The portal is integrated with ISRO's BHUWAN Portal and the SMARAC mobile app to facilitate seamless online submission of applications. It is also integrated with the National Single  Window  System  (NSWS)  and  has  been  recognized  by  Department  of  Industrial Policy  &  Promotion (DIPP) for  easing  the  compliance  burden,  thereby  ensuring  greater transparency and time-bound processing of applications.

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