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17.-1. If the Minister apprehends that the owner or occupier of a protected or listed
monument or a protected relic intends to act or to permit any other person to act in
breach of any restriction imposed under an agreement made under section 15
theMinister may by directions in writing prohibit any such action.
2. If an owner of any monument or relic or other person who is bound by an
agreement under section 15 refuses to do any act which, in the opinion of the
Minister, is necessary for such conservation, preservation or maintenance of a
protected or listed monument or protected relic, or neglects to do any such act
within such time as may be fixed by the Minister, or fails to comply with the
requirements of an order made under subsection (1), the Minister may authorize any
person to do such act and the attendant costs may be recovered from such owner or
such other person.
18.-1. If the Minister apprehends that a monument or relic c is in danger of being
destroyed, injured or allowed to fall into disrepair or decay, or that a monument or
relic is threatened by any proposed change of use or development of land, he may
make a report in that behalf to the Minister responsible for land matters and it shall
be lawful for that Minister to acquire the monument or relic under the provisions of
the Land Act c or the Land Acquisition Act as if the conservation or preservation of
such monument or relic were a public purpose within themeaning of that Act
-2. If the Minister apprehends that a monument or relic is in danger of being
destroyed, damaged or allowed to fall into disrepair or decay, he may(a) where the owner can reasonably be ascertained, compulsorily purchase the
monument or relic from the owner at such price as the Minister shall consider
appropriate having regard to the state of preservation, conservation or maintenance
of the monument or relic;
(b)where the owner cannot reasonably be ascertained, acquire the monument or
relic, and upon the purchase or acquisition the Government shall have good title to
such monument or relic.
19. The powers of compulsory purchase or acquisition of monuments and relics
pursuant to section 18 shall not be exercised(a) in respect of any monument or relic which is the subject of a subsisting
agreement entered into under the provisions of section 15; and
(b) unless the owner of the monument or relic or other person competent to enter
into an agreement under section 15 has failed, within such period as the Minister
may fix in that behalf, to enter into an agreement under that section or has
terminated or given notice of his intention to terminate such agreement.
20. The Minister may remove or cause to be removed to a museum or place of safe
custody any monument or relic acquired or purchased under section 18, which is not
the subject of a subsisting agreement entered into under section 15.
21.-1. Every monument or relic in respect of which the Minister has acquired any of
the rights mentioned in section 15, or which has been compulsorily purchased or
acquired under section 18, shall, unless the Minister otherwise decides, be
maintained by the Minister who may delegate such responsibility to a local authority
within whose area such monument or relic is situated:
Provided that where such monument or relic has been removed to a place of safe
custody pursuant to section 20, the person in whose custody it is shall be responsible

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