Construction near protected monuments illegal: SC

The Supreme Court has ruled that no construction activities are to be allowed within 100 metres of protected monuments under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act,2010,anywhere in the country,including Jantar Mantar area.

The Supreme Court has ruled that no construction activities are to be allowed within 100 metres of protected monuments under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act,2010,anywhere in the country,including Jantar Mantar area.

A bench of Justices G S Singhvi and A K Ganguly warned if effective steps are not taken to enforce the Act,historical monuments like Jantar Mantar would become extinct and become part of history.

The apex court passed the judgment while setting aside a Delhi High Court verdict,which,while holding that construction of multi-storyed buildings near Jantar Mantar was illegal,directed the Centre to review the provisions of the Act for relaxing the norms to allow construction.

In the name of development,the High Court could not have issued a mandamus to the Central government to review or reconsider notification dated 16.6.1992 and that too by ignoring that after Independence a large number of protected monuments have been facing the threat of extinction, the judgment said.

The bench passed the ruling while upholding an appeal filed by ASI challenging the unauthorised construction near Jantar Mantar.

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