About the AMASR Act:

• AMASR Act provides for the preservation of ancient and historical monuments, archaeological sites, remains of national importance, for the regulation of archaeological excavations and for the protection of sculptures, carvings and other like objects.
• The act provides for the preservation and protection of all historic monuments that have been declared to be of national importance by the Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Declaration of National Importance) Act, 1951 and by section 126 of the States Reorganization Act, 1956.
• The AMASR Act, 1958, was amended in 2010 to declare the 100-metre radius of protected monuments as prohibited areas and the next 300-metre radius as regulated areas.
• However, according to a recent Parliamentary Standing Committee report there seems to be no specific reason for this classification.

Proposed Changes:

• The proposed amendment will seek to bring a change in Section 20A of the Act which deals with declaration of prohibited areas and carrying out public works in prohibited areas. Expert monument committees would decide the prohibited area around a monument.
• These areas could be as wide as 500 meters for some sites like the Taj Mahal. The amendment to this provision would enable the ASI to hold the relevant authorities liable in case of illegal buildings at a protected site and thus help in curbing the menace of encroachment.

Source: EPIC February 2022