Punjab Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological Remains & Sites Act, 1964

No: 20 Dated: Jun, 01 1964

THE PUNJAB ANCIENT AND HISTORICAL MONUMNETS AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES AND REMAINS ACT,1964

Punjab Act 20 of 1964

    An Act to provide for the preservation of ancient and historical monuments and archaeological sites and remains other than those of national importance, for the regulation of Archaeological excavations and for the protection of sculptures, carvings and other like objects.

    Be it enacted by the legislature of the State of Punjab in the Fifteenth Year of the Republic of India as follows :-

Preliminary

1. Short title, extent and commencement. - (1) This Act may be called the Punjab Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1964.

(2) It extends to the whole of the State of Punjab.

(3) It shall come into force on such date as the State Government may by notification appoint.

2. Definitions. - In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, -

(a) 'ancient and historical monument' means any structure, erection or monument, or any tumulus or place of internment, or any cave, rock-sculpture, inscription or monolith, which is of historical, archaeological or artistic interest and which has been in existence for not less than one hundred years and includes-

(i) the remains of an ancient and historical monument,

(ii) the site of an ancient and historical monument,

(iii) such portion of land adjoining the site of an ancient and historical monument as may be required for fencing or covering in or otherwise preserving such monument, and

(iv) the means of access to, and convenient inspection of an ancient and historical monument;

but does not include any ancient or historical monument declared by or under law made by Parliament to be of national importance;

(b) "antiquity" includes -

(i) any coin, sculpture, manuscript, epigraph or other work of art or craftsmanship.

(ii) any article, object or thing detached from a building or cave,

(iii) any article, object or thing illustrative of science, art, crafts, literature, religion, customs, murals or politics in by-gone ages,

(iv) any article, object or thing of historical interest, and

(v) any article, object or thing declared by the Government by notification to be an antiquity for the purposes of this Act,

which has been in existence for not less than one hundred years;

(c) 'archaeological officer' means an officer of the Government appointed for the purpose of exercising the powers conferred on, and performing the functions assigned to, an archaeological officer under this Act, and includes any other officer authorised by the Government to exercise and perform all or any of such powers and functions;

(d) 'archaeological site and remains' means area which contains or is reasonably believed to contain ruins or relics or historical or archaeological importance which have been in existence for not less than one hundred years, and includes -

(i) such portion of land adjoining the area as may be required for fencing or covering in or otherwise preserving it, and

(ii) the means of access to, and convenient inspection of, the area;

but does not include any archaeological site or remains declared by or under law made by Parliament to be of national importance;

(e) 'Director' means the Director of Archaeology and includes any officer authorised by the Government to exercise the powers and perform the functions of the Director under this Act;

(f) 'Government' means the Government of Punjab;

(g) 'maintain' with its grammatical variations and cognate expressions includes the fencing, covering in, repairing, restoring and cleansing of a protected monument, and the doing of any act which may be necessary for the purpose of preserving a protected monument or of securing convenient access thereto;

(h) 'owner' includes -

(i) a joint owner invested with powers of management on behalf of himself and other joint owner 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) 'prescribed' means prescribed by rules made under this Act;

(j) 'protected area' means any archaeological site and remains which is declared to be a protected area by or under this Act;

(k) 'protected monument' means an ancient or historical monument which is declared to be protected monument by or under this Act;