Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958
PROTECTED MONUMENTS
5.Acquisition of rights in a protected
monument.-
(1) The Director-General may, with the sanction
of the Central Government, purchase, or take a lease of, or accept a gift or
bequest of, any protected monument.
(2) Where a protected monument is without an owner, the Director-General may,
by notification in the Official Gazette, assume the guardianship of the
monument.
(3) The owner of any protected monument may, by written instrument, constitute
the Director-General the guardian of the monument, and the Director-General the
guardian of the monument, and the Director-General may, with the sanction of
the Central Government, accept such guardianship.
(4) When the Director-General has accepted the
guardianship of a monument under sub-section (3), the owner shall, except as
expressly provided in this Act, have the same estate, right, title and interest
in and to the monument as if the Director-General had not been constituted a
guardian thereof.
(5) When the Director-General has accepted the
guardianship of a monument under sub-section (3), the provisions of this Act
relating to agreements executed under section 6 shall apply to the written to
agreements executed under the said sub-section.
(6) Nothing in this section shall affect the use of any protected monument for
customary religious observations.