National Monuments Authority fully functional in Goa, clear framework in place for heritage protection and development, clarifies Union Culture Minister

**Executive Summary** The Union Culture Minister clarified on December 15, 2025, that the National Monuments Authority (NMA) is fully functional in Goa, ensuring systematic regulation of construction, repair, and developmental activities around protected monuments and heritage sites. This assurance was given in response to a question raised in the Lok Sabha by Captain Viriato Fernandes. The NMA operates under the AMASR Act, 1958, as amended in 2010. **Key Points / Main Content** * **NMA Functionality:** * The NMA is fully constituted and actively functioning in Goa. * It ensures systematic regulation of construction, repair, and development around protected monuments. * **Legal Framework and Mandate:** * The NMA was constituted under the AMASR Act, 1958, as amended in 2010. * It is mandated to regulate activities in prohibited and regulated areas surrounding monuments and sites protected by the ASI. * **Application Process:** * The NMA processes applications for repair, renovation, reconstruction, and development near protected monuments. * Applications require submission of site plans, ownership documents, structural details, and project proposals. * Notified Competent Authorities assess applications at the field level. * The NMA evaluates recommendations to ensure proposed activities do not adversely affect preservation, safety, security, visual integrity, or access to protected monuments. * **Heritage Bye-Laws:** * A robust statutory framework ensures compliance with heritage protection laws. * The NMA approves Heritage Bye-laws under Section 20E of the AMASR Act. * Competent Authorities prepare these bye-laws in consultation with expert heritage bodies notified by the Central Government. * Bye-laws provide clear building and planning guidelines, guiding physical, social, and economic interventions while safeguarding heritage value, and ensuring transparency, consistency and adherence to the provisions of the AMASR Act. **Impact Analysis** **Stakeholder: Property Owners and Developers Near Protected Monuments in Goa** * **Impact:** Subject to regulations and approval processes by the NMA for construction, repair, renovation, and developmental activities. Must comply with Heritage Bye-laws. * **Action Required:** Must submit detailed applications (site plans, ownership documents, structural details, project proposals) to the NMA for approval before undertaking any work. Must adhere to the Heritage Bye-laws for building and planning guidelines. **Stakeholder: Competent Authorities** * **Impact:** Responsible for assessing applications at the field level and providing recommendations to the NMA. * **Action Required:** Evaluate applications based on established criteria and provide recommendations to the NMA to ensure proposed activities do not negatively impact heritage preservation. **Stakeholder: Expert Heritage Bodies Notified by the Central Government** * **Impact:** Consulted in the preparation of Heritage Bye-laws. * **Action Required:** Provide expert input during the creation of Heritage Bye-laws. **Stakeholder: Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)** * **Impact:** Monuments and sites protected by the ASI are under the regulatory purview of the NMA. * **Action Required:** Continue to work with the NMA in the preservation and protection of sites, as well as the monitoring of applications and adherence to the Act.

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