100 metres norm for ASI sites to be eased

New Delhi: The government on Wednesday approved amendments to a law for allowing the Central government to carry out infrastructure projects within the limits of “prohibited area” around protected monuments.

The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act will be amended to allow “public work of national importance” in the prohibited areas, said Union minister Piyush Goyal on the decisions taken by the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Currently, construction is not allowed within 100 metres around protected monuments except for repair and renovation works. According to the minister, this was creating hurdles in executing infrastructure projects. He further said that sufficient safety measures have been proposed to ensure that the monuments will not get affected while carrying out the infrastructural work.

“Its emergent necessity is based upon specific instance of danger to public safety or security of public at large”.  He said adequate safeguards have been proposed to ensure that monuments remain protected when the infrastructure work is carried out.

At present, as many as 3,686 monuments and sites are centrally-protected under the jurisdiction of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which is responsible for their maintenance.

Earlier in January, the ministry of culture had proposed easing of rules governing the protection of archaeologically significant sites, including Unesco World Heritage Sites.