i. a joint owner invested with powers of management on behalf of himself and other joint owners and the successor in title of any such owner, and ii. any manager or trustee exercising powers of management and the successor in office of any such manager or trustee;
i. “Protected area” means any archaeological site and remains which is declared to be a protected area under this Act;
j. “Protected monument” means any ancient monument which is declared to be protected monument under this Act.
PROTECTION OF ANCIENT MONUMENTS AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES AND REMAINS:-
3. Power of Government to declare ancient monuments etc., to be protected monuments and areas:-
1. Where the Government are of opinion that any ancient monument or archaeological site and remains requires protection under this Act, they may, by notification, give two months’ notice of their intention to declare such ancient monument or archaeological site and remains to be a protected monument or a protected area, as the case may be, and a copy of every such notification shall be affixed in a conspicuous place near the monument or the site and remains, as the case may be.
2. Any person interested in any such ancient monument or archaeological site and remains may, within two months after the issue of the notification, object to the declaration of the monument, or the archaeological site and remains, as the case may be, to be a protected monument or a protected area.
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3. On the expiry of the said period of two months, the Government may, after considering the objections, if any received by them, declare by notification, the ancient monument or the archaeological site and remains, as the case may be, to be a protected monument or a protected area.
4. A notification issued under sub-section (3) shall unless and until it is withdrawn, be conclusive evidence of the fact that the ancient monument or the archaeological site and remains to which it relates, is a protected monument or a protected area for the purposes of the Act.
PROTECTED MONUMENTS
4. Acquisition of rights in a protected monument:-
1. The Director may, with the sanction of the 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 may, by notification, assume the guardianship of the monument.
3. The owner of any protected monument may, by written instrument, constitute the Director the guardian of the monument, and the Director may, with the sanction of the Government, accept such guardianship.
4. When the Director 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 had not been constituted a guardian thereof; and the provisions of this Act relating to agreements executed under section 5 shall apply to the written instrument executed under sub-section (3) …..8 ….8
5. Nothing in this section shall affect the use of any protected monument for customary religious observances,