(1) This Act may be called the Orissa Ancient Monuments Preservation Act, 1956.
(2) It extends to the whole of the State of Orissa.
(3) It shall come into force at once.
**Statement of Objects and Reasons. - Archaeology was a Central subject during the British period and ancient monuments are archaeological sites used to be preserved by the Ancient Monuments Preservation Act of 1904. This Act was only introduced in the British India but in the Orissa States it was not operative. Only a few enlightened Rulers established Archaeological Departments in their areas for taking steps for preserving and exploring the ancient and archaeological sites and for the care and upkeep of the ancient monuments according to the scientific principles In 1950 only 33 monuments were put in the list of preserved Ancient Monument in Orissa by the Archaeological Department of India and this clearly establishes that only a few monuments situated at well known places of pilgrimage were included in the list by the Archaeological * Published vide Orissa Gazette Extraordinary No. 135 dated 11.6.1956 ** For Bill see Orissa Gazette No. 62 of 1956, dated 15.3.1956.
The Odisha Gazette EXTRAORDINARY PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY No. 135 Date : 11th June 1955 2 Department of the Government of India. It is needless to add that not even one of those ancient parts of Orissa where people of Kalmga spread the Indian civilisation to Indonesia has been discovered in the Orissa coast. In the costal area the location of ancient monuments and archaeological sites such as Tosali of Asokan period, Kaliegangara of Kharavela, period of Dantapura of the Buddhist Traditions is not fully known. Such is the condition in the old Districts of Orissa. Only a few archaeological sites and ancient monuments of the ex-State area are known and out of them very few are declared by the Government of India as protected monuments of national importance.
According to Item 67 of the List I of the 7th Schedule to the Constitution of India the Ancient Monument which will be declared by the Parliament by law to be of national importance, will be protected by the Union Government.
According to the Item 12 of the List 11 of Schedule to the Indian Constitution, all other ancient monuments and archaeological sites not declared by the Parliament by law to be of national importance, are to be protected by the State Government. In the absence of any law defining the measures for the preservation of the ancient monuments and archaeological sites, the State Government are not in a position to take any step by law to declare an ancient monument or archaeological site as protected.
This Bill which seeks to provide the necessary legislative measures in this connection has the following main objects, viz :
(1) Ensuring the proper upkeep and repair of the ancient buildings; in State or private ownership;
(2) Prevention of destruction of sites of historic interest by ignorant and unauthorised persons and regular systematic excavation of excerpts; and
(3) Securing control over traffic in sculptures, carvings of the objects