#THE ANCIENT MONUMENTS PRESERVATION ACT, 1904 
_________ 

##ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS 
________ 

SECTIONS 

1. Short title and extent. 
2. Definitions. 
3. Protected monuments. 

*Ancient Monuments*

4. Acquisition of rights in or guardianship of an ancient monument. 
5. Preservation of ancient monument by agreement. 
6. Owners under disability or not in possession. 
7. Enforcement of agreement. 
8. Purchasers at certain sales and persons claiming through owner bound by instrument executed by 
  owner. 
9. Application of endowment to repair of an ancient monument. 
10. Compulsory purchase of ancient monument 
10A. Power Central Government to control mining, etc., near ancient monument. 
11. Maintenance of certain protected monuments. 
12. Voluntary contributions. 
13. Protection of place of worship from misuse, pollution or desecration. 
14. Relinquishment of Government rights in a monument. 
15. Right of access to certain protected monuments. 
16. Penalties. 

*Traffic in Antiquities*

17. Power to Central Government to control traffic in antiquities. 

*Protection of Sculptures, Carvings, Images, Bas-reliefs, Inscriptions or like objects*

18. Power to Central Government to control moving of sculptures, carvings or like objects. 
19. Purchase of sculptures, carvings or like objects by the Government. 

*Archaeological Excavation*

20. Power of Central Government to notify areas as protected. 
20A. Power to enter upon and make excavations in a protected area. 
20B. Power of Central Government to make rules regulating Archaeological excavation in protected 
  areas. 
20C. Power to acquire a protected area. 

*General*

21. Assessment of market-value or compensation. 
22. Jurisdiction. 
23. Power to make rules. 
24. Protection to public servants acting under Act. 



#THE ANCIENT MONUMENTS PRESERVATION ACT, 1904 

##ACT NO. 7 OF 1904
[^1]

[18th March, 1904.] 

An  Act  to  provide  for  the  preservation  of  Ancient  Monuments  and  of  objects  of  archaeological, 
  historical, or artistic interest. 

  WHEREAS it is expedient to provide for the preservation of ancient monuments, for the exercise of control 
over  traffic  in  antiquities  and  over  excavation  in  certain  places,  and  for  the  protection  and  acquisition  in 
certain cases of ancient monuments and of objects of archaeological, historical or artistic interest; It is hereby 
enacted as follows:— 

1. **Short title and extent.**—(1) This Act may be called the Ancient Monuments Preservation 
Act, 1904. 

  (2) It extends to the whole of India [^2]except the State of Jammu and Kashmir.

2. **Definitions.**—In this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context,— 

  (1)  “ancient  monument”  means  any  structure,  erection  or  monument  or  any  tumulus  or  place  of 
interment,  or  any  cave,  rock-sculpture,  inscription  or  monolith,  which  is  of  historical,  archeological  or 
artistic interest, or any remains thereof, and includes— 

     (a) the site of an ancient monument; 

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

     (c) the means of access to and convenient inspection of an ancient monument: 

  (2) “antiquities” include any moveable objects which the Central Government, by reason of their 
historical  or  archeological  associations,  may  think  it  necessary  to  protect  against  injury,  removal  or 
dispersion: 

  (3) “Commissioner”  includes  any  officer  authorised  by the Central Government to perform the 
duties of a Commissioner under this Act: 

  (4) “maintain” and “maintenance” include 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 
maintaining a protected monument or of securing convenient access thereto: 



[^1]. The Act has ceased to have effect in relation to ancient and historical monuments and archaeological sites and remains declared to 
be of national importance by or under Act 24 of 1958, vide s. 39 thereof (w.e.f. 15-10-1959). Ceased to have effect in Andhra in 
relation to Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Area declared to be protected Monuments by 
Andhra Act 7 of 1960. 

The  Act  has  been  repealed  in  its  application  to  Bellary  District  by  Mysore  Act  14  of  1955  and  in  Maharashtra  by  Maharashtra 
  Act 12 of 1961. 

Amended in its application to— 

  (1) Mysore by Mysore Act 7 of 1962. 
  (2) Rajasthan by Rajasthan Act 19 of 1961. 
  The Act comes into force in Pondicherry on 1-10-1963: vide Reg. 7 of 1963, s. 3 and the First Schedule. 

[^2].  Now  applicable  to  the  Union  territory  of  Jammu  and  Kashmir  and  the  Union  territory  of  Ladakh  by  the  Notification  of 
Government of India, M/o Home Affairs vide No. S.O. 3912 (E), dated 30th October, 2019 (w.e.f. 31-10-2019). 



  (5) “land”  includes  a  revenue-free  estate,  a  revenue-paying  estate,  and  a  permanent  transferable 
tenure, whether such estate or tenure be subject to incumbrances or not: and 

  (6)  “owner”  includes  a joint  owner  invested  with  powers  of  management  on  behalf  of himself and 
other  joint  owners,  and  any  manager  or  trustee  exercising  powers  of  management  over  an  ancient 
monument, and the successor in title of any such owner and the successor in office of any such manager 
or trustee: 

  Provided  that  nothing  in  this  Act  shall  be  deemed  to  extend  the  powers  which  may  lawfully  be 
exercised by such manager or trustee. 

3. **Protected monuments.**—(1) The Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, 
declare an ancient monument to be a protected monument within the meaning of this Act. 

  (2) A copy of every notification published under sub-section (1) shall be fixed up in a conspicuous place 
on  or  near  the  monument,  together  with  an  intimation  that  any  objections  to  the  issue  of  the  notification 
received by the Central Government within one month from the date when it is so fixed up will be taken 
into consideration. 

  (3) On  the  expiry  of  the  said  period of one month, the Central Government, after  considering  the 
objections, if any, shall confirm or withdraw the notification. 

  (4) A  notification  published  under  this  section  shall,  unless  and  until  it  is  withdrawn,  be  conclusive 
evidence of the fact that the monument to which it relates is an ancient monument within the meaning of this 
Act. 

*Ancient Monuments*

4. **Acquisition of rights in or guardianship of an ancient monument.**—(1) The Collector,  with  the 
sanction of the Central Government, may purchase or take a lease of any protected monument. 

  (2) The Collector, with the like sanction, may accept a gift or bequest of any protected monument. 

  (3) The owner of any protected monument may, by written instrument, constitute the Commissioner the 
guardian  of  the  monument,  and  the  Commissioner  may,  with  the  sanction  of  the Central Government, 
accept such guardianship. 

  (4) When  the  Commissioner  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 Commissioner had not been constituted guardian thereof. 

  (5) When  the  Commissioner  has  accepted  the  guardianship  of  a  monument  under  sub-section  (3),  the 
provisions of this Act relating to agreements executed under section 5 shall apply to the written instrument 
executed under the said sub-section. 

  (6) Where a protected monument is without an owner, the Commissioner may assume the guardianship of 
the monument. 

5. **Preservation of ancient monument by agreement.**—(1)  The  Collector  may,  with  the  previous 
sanction of the Central Government, propose  to  the  owner  to  enter  into  an agreement  with the Central 
Government for the preservation of any protected monument in his district. 

  (2) An agreement under this section may provide for the following matters, or for such of them as it may 
be found expedient to include m the agreement:— 

     (a) the maintenance of the monument; 

     (b) the custody of the monument, and the duties of any person who may be employed to watch it; 

     (c) the restriction of the owner’s right to destroy, remove, alter or deface the monument or to build on 
or near the site of the monument; 

     (d) the facilities of access to be permitted to the public or to any portion of the public and to persons 
deputed by the owner or the Collector to inspect or maintain the monument; 

     (e) the  notice  to  be  given  to  the  Central  Government  in  case  the  land  on  which  the  monument  is 
situated  is  offered  for  sale  by  the  owner,  and  the  right  to  be  reserved  to the Central Government to 
purchase such land, or any specified portion of such land, at its market-value; 

     (f) the payment of any expenses incurred by the owner or by the Central Government in connection 
with the preservation of the monument; 

     (g) the proprietary or other rights which are to vest in Government in respect of the monument when 
any expenses reinsured by the Central Government in  connection  with  the  preservation  of  the 
monument; 

     (h) the appointment of an authority to decide any dispute arising out of the agreement; and 

     (i) any  matter  connected  with  the  preservation  of  the  monument  which  is  a  proper  subject  of 
agreement between the owner and the Central Government. 

  (4) The terms of an agreement under this section may be altered from time to time with the sanction of 
the Central Government and with the consent of the owner. 

  (5) With the previous sanction of the Central Government, the Collector may terminate an agreement 
under this section on giving six months’ notice in writing to the owner. 

  (6) The  owner  may  terminate  an  agreement  under  this  section  on  giving  six  months’  notice  to  the 
Collector. 

  (7) An  agreement  under  this  section  shall  be  binding  on  any  person  claiming  to  be  owner  of  the 
monument  to  which  it  relates,  through  or  under  a  party  by  whom  or  on  whose  behalf  the  agreement  was 
executed. 

  (8) Any rights acquired by the Central Government in respect of expenses incurred in  protecting  or 
preserving a monument shall not be affected by the termination of an agreement under this section. 

6. **Owners under disability or not in possession.**—(1) If the owner is unable, by reason of infancy or 
other disability, to act for himself, the person legally competent to act on his behalf may exercise the powers 
conferred upon an owner by section 5. 

  (2) In the case of village-property, the headman or other village-officer exercising powers of management 
over such property may exercise the powers conferred upon an owner by section 5. 

  (3) Nothing in this section shall be deemed to empower any person not being of the same religion as the 
persons  on  whose  behalf  he  is  acting  to  make  or  execute  an  agreement  relating  to  a  protected  monument 
which or any part of which is periodically used for the religious worship or observances of that religion. 

7. **Enforcement of agreement.**—(1)  If  the  Collector  apprehends  that  the  owner  or  occupier  of  a 
monument intends to destroy, remove, alter, deface, or imperil the monument or to build on or near the site 
thereof in contravention of the terms of an agreement for its preservation under section 5, the Collector may 
make an order prohibiting any such contravention of the agreement. 

  (2) If an owner or other person who is bound by an agreement for the preservation or maintenance of a 
monument under section 5 refuses to do any act which is in  the opinion of the Collector necessary to such 
preservation or maintenance, or neglects to do any such act within such reasonable time as may be fixed by 
the Collector, the Collector may authorize any person to do any such act, and the expense of doing any such 
act or such portion of the expense as the owner may be liable to pay under the agreement may be recovered 
from the owner as if it were an arrear of land-revenue. 

  (3) A person aggrieved by an order made under this section may appeal to the Commissioner, who may 
cancel or modify it and whose decision shall be final. 

8. **Purchasers at certain sales and persons claiming through owner bound by instrument executed 
by owner.**—Every person who purchases, at a sale for arrears of land-revenue or any other public demand, or 
at a sale made under the Bengal Patni Taluks Regulation, 1819, (Ben. Reg. 8 of 1819) an estate or tenure in 
which is situated a monument in respect of which any instrument has been executed by the owner for the time 
being, under section 4 or section 5 and every person claiming any title to a monument from, through or under 
an owner who executed any such instrument, shall be bound  by such instrument. 

9. **Application of endowment to repair of an ancient monument.**—(1) If any owner or other person 
competent to enter into an agreement under section 5 for the preservation of a protected monument, refuses or 
fails to enter into such an agreement when proposed to him by the Collector, and if any endowment has been 
created for the purpose of keeping such monument in repair, or for that purpose among others, the Collector 
may institute a suit in the Court of the District Judge, or, if the estimated cost of repairing the monument does 
not exceed one thousand rupees, may make an application to the District Judge for the proper application of 
such endowment or part thereof. 

  (2) On the hearing of an application under sub-section (1), the District Judge may summon and examine 
the owner and any person whose evidence appears to him necessary, and may pass an order  for the proper 
application of the endowment or of any part thereof, and any such order may be executed as if it were the 
decree of a Civil Court. 

10. **Compulsory purchase of ancient monument.**—(1) If the Central Government apprehends that a 
protected  monument  is  in  danger  of  being  destroyed,  injured  or  allowed  to  fall  into  decay the Central 
Government  may  direct  the  State  Government  to  acquire it under  the  provisions  of  the  Land  Acquisition 
Act,  1894 (1  of  1894),  as if  the  preservation  of  a  protected  monument  were  a “public  purpose”  within  the 
meaning of that Act. 

  (2) The powers of compulsory purchase conferred by sub-section (1) shall not be exercised in the case 
of— 

     (a) any monument which or any part of which is periodically used for religious observances; or 

     (b) any monument which is the subject of a subsisting agreement executed under section 5. 

  (3) In any case other than the cases referred to in sub-section (2) the said powers of compulsory purchase 
shall not be exercised unless the owner or other person competent to enter into an agreement under section 5 
has failed, within such reasonable period as the Collector may fix in this behalf, to enter into an agreement 
proposed to him under the said section or has terminated or given notice of his intention to terminate such an 
agreement. 

10A. **Power  Central  Government to control mining, etc., near ancient monument.**—(1) If the 
Central Government is  of  opinion  that  mining,  quarrying,  excavating,  blasting  and  other  operations  of  a 
like  nature  should  be  restricted  or  regulated  for  the  purpose  of  protecting,  or  preserving  any  ancient 
monument, the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, make rules— 

     (a) fixing the boundaries of the area to which the rules are to apply, 

     (b) forbidding the carrying on of mining, quarrying, excavating, blasting or any operation of a like 
nature except in accordance with the rules and with the terms of a licence, and 

     (c) prescribing the authority by which, and the terms on which, licences may be granted to carry on 
any of the said operations. 

  (2) The power to make rules given by this section is subject to the condition of the rules being made after 
previous publication. 

  (3) A  rule  made  under  this  section  may  provide  that  any  person  committing  a  breach  thereof  shall  be 
punishable with fine which may extend to two hundred rupees. 

  (4) If  any  owner  or  occupier  of  land  included  in  a  notification  under  sub-section  (1)  proves  to  the 
satisfaction of the Central Government that he has sustained loss by reason of such land being so included, 
the Central Government shall pay compensation in respect of such loss.

11. **Maintenance of certain protected monuments.**—(1)  The  Commissioner  shall  maintain  every 
monument in respect of which the Government has acquired any of the rights mentioned in section 4 or which 
the Government has acquired under section 10. 

  (2) When the Commissioner has accepted the guardianship of a monument under section 4, he shall, for 
the purpose of maintaining such monument, have access to the monument at all reasonable times, by himself 
and  by  his  agents,  subordinates  and  workmen,  for  the  purpose  of  inspecting  the  monument,  and  for  the 
purpose  of  bringing  such  materials  and  doing  such  acts  as  he  may  consider  necessary  or  desirable  for  the 
maintenance thereof. 

12. **Voluntary contributions.**—The Commissioner may receive voluntary contributions towards the cost 
of maintaining a protected monument and may give orders as to the management and application of any funds 
so received by him: 

  Provided that no contribution received under this section shall he applied to any purpose other than the 
purpose for which it was contributed. 

13. **Protection of place of worship from misuse, pollution or desecration.**—(1) A place of worship or 
shrine maintained by the Government under this Act shall not be used for any purpose inconsistent with its 
character. 

  (2) Where the Collector has, under section 4, purchased or taken a lease of any protected monument, or 
has accepted a gift or bequest, or the Commissioner has, under the same section, accepted the guardianship 
thereof, and such monument, or any part thereof, is periodically used for religious worship or observances by 
any  community,  the  Collector  shall  make  due  provision  for  the  protection  of  such  monument  or  such  part 
thereof, from pollution or desecration— 

     (a) by  prohibiting  the  entry  therein,  except  n  accordance  with  conditions  prescribed  with  the 
concurrence of the persons in religious charge of the said monument or part thereof, of any person not 
entitled so to enter by the religious usages of the community by which the monument or part thereof is 
used, or 

     (b) by taking such other action as he may think necessary in this behalf. 

14. **Relinquishment of Government rights in a monument.**—With the sanction of the Central 
Government, the Commissioner may— 

  (a) where  rights  have  been  acquired by the Central Government in respect of any monument 
under this Act by virtue of any sale, lease, gift or will, relinquish the rights so acquired to the person who 
would for the time being be the owner of the monument if such rights had not been acquired; or 

  (b) relinquish any guardianship of a monument which he has accepted under this Act. 

15. **Right of access to certain protected monuments.**—(1) Subject to such rules as may after previous 
publication  be  made  by the Central Government, the  public  shall  have  a  nut  right  of  access  to  any 
monument maintained by the Central Government under this Act. 

  (2) In making any rule under sub-section (1) the Central Government may provide that a breach of it 
shall be punishable with fine which may extend to twenty rupees. 

16. **Penalties.**—Any  person  other  than  the  owner  who  destroys,  removes,  injures,  alters,  defaces  or 
imperils a protected monument, and any owner who destroys, removes, injures, alters, defaces or imperils a 
monument maintained by the Central Government under this Act or in respect of which an agreement has 
been executed under section 5, and any owner or occupier who contravenes an order made under section 7, 
sub-section  (1),  shall  be  punishable  with  fine  which  may  extend  to  five  thousand  rupees,  or  with 
imprisonment which may extend to three months, or with both. 

*Traffic in Antiquities*

17. **Power to Central Government to control traffic in antiquities.**—(1)  If  the  Central  Government 
apprehends that antiquities that are being sold or removed to the detriment of India or of any neighbouring 
country, it may, by notification in the Official Gazette,  prohibit or restrict the bringing or taking by sea or by 
land  of  any  antiquities  or  class  of  antiquities described in the notification into or out of the territories to 
which this Act extends or any specified part of the said territories. 

  (2) Any person who brings or takes or attempts to bring or take any such antiquities into or out of the 
said territories or any part of the said territories in contravention of a notification issued under sub-section 
(1), shall be punishable with fine which may extend to five hundred rupees. 

  (3) Antiquities in respect of which an offence referred to in sub-section (2) has been committed shall be 
liable to confiscation. 

  (4) An  officer  of  Customs,  or  an  officer  of  Police  of  a  grade  not  lower  than  Sub-Inspector,  duly 
empowered by the Central Government in  this  behalf,  may  search  any  vessel,  cart  or  other  means  of 
conveyance, and may open any baggage or package of goods, if he has reason to believe that goods in respect 
of which an offence has been committed under sub-section (2) are contained therein. 

  (5) A person who complains that the power of search mentioned in sub-section (4) has been vexatiously 
or improperly exercised may address his complaint to the Central Government, and the Central 
Government shall pass such order and may award such compensation, if any, as appears to it to be just. 

*Protection of Sculptures, Carvings, Images, Bas-reliefs, Inscriptions or like objects*

18. **Power to Central Government to control moving of sculptures , carvings or like objects.**—(1) If 
the Central Government considers that any sculptures, carvings, images, bas-reliefs, inscriptions or other 
like  objects  ought  not  to  be  moved  from  the  place where they are without the sanction of the  Central 
Government, the Central Government may,  by  notification in  the  Official  Gazette, direct that any such 
object or any class of such objects shall not be moved unless with the written permission of the Collector. 

  (2) A person applying for the permission mentioned in sub-section (1) shall specify the object or objects 
which he proposes to move and shall furnish, in regard to such object or objects, any information which the 
Collector may require. 

  (3) If  the  Collector  refuses  to  grant  such  permission,  the  applicant  may  appeal  to  the  Commissioner, 
whose decision shall be final. 

  (4) Any  person  who  moves  any  object  in  contravention  of  a  notification  issued  under  sub-section  (1), 
shall be punishable with fine which may extend to five hundred rupees. 

  (5) If  the  owner  of  any  property  proves  to  the  satisfaction  of the Central Government that  he  has 
suffered any loss or damage by reason of the inclusion of such property in a notification published under sub-
section (1), the Central Government shall either— 

     (a) exempt such property from the said notification; 

     (b) purchase such property, if it be moveable, at its market - value; or 

     (c) pay  compensation  for  any  loss  or  damage  sustained  by  the  owner  of  such  property,  if  it  be 
immoveable. 

19. **Purchase of sculptures, carvings or like objects by the Government.**—(1) If the Central 
Government apprehends that  any  object  mentioned in  a  notification  issued  under  section  18, 
sub-section (1), is in danger of being destroyed, removed, injured or allowed to fall into decay, the Central 
Government may  pass  orders  for  the  compulsory  purchase  of  such  object  at  its  market-value,  and  the 
Collector shall thereupon give notice to the owner of the object to be purchased. 

  (2) The power of compulsory purchase given by this section shall not extend to— 

     (a) any image or symbol actually used for the purpose of any religious observance; or 

     (b) anything which the owner desires to retain on any reasonable ground personal to himself or to 
any of his ancestors or to any member of his family. 

*Archaeological Excavation*

20. **Power of Central Government to notify areas as protected.**—(1) If the Central Government 
is of opinion that excavation for archeological purposes in any area should be restricted and regulated in the 
interests  of  archeological  research,  the  Central  Government  may,  by  notification  in  the  Official  Gazette 
specifying the boundaries of the area, declare it to be a protected area. 

  (2) From the date of such notification all antiquities buried in the protected area shall be the property of 
the  Government  and  shall  be  deemed  to  be  in  the  possession  of  the  Government,  and  shall  remain  the 
property  and  in  the  possession  of  the  Government  until  Ownership  thereof  is  transferred;  but  in  all  other 
respects the rights of any owner or occupier of land in such area shall not be affected. 

20A. **Power  to  enter  upon and make excavations in a protected area.**—(1) Any officer of the 
the Archeological  Department  or  any  person  holding  a licence  under  section  20B  may,  with 
written permission of the Collector enter upon and make excavations in any, protected area. 

  (2) Where,  in  the  exercise  of  the  power  conferred  by  sub-section  (1),  the  rights  of  any  person  are 
infringed by the occupation or disturbance of the surface of any land, the Central Government shall pay to 
that person compensation for the infringement. 

20B. **Power  of  Central  Government  to  make  rules  regulating  Archaeological  excavation  in 
protected areas.**—(1) The Central Government may make rules— 

     (a) prescribing  the  authorities  by  whom  licences  to  excavate  for  archeological  purposes  in  a 
protected area may be granted; 

     (b) regulating the conditions on which such licences may be granted, the form of such licences, and 
the taking of security from licensees; 

     (c) prescribing the manner in which antiquities found by a licensee shall be divided between the 
Central Government and the licensee; and 

     (d) generally to carry out the purposes of section 20. 

  (2) The power to make rules given by this section is subject to the condition of the rules being made after 
previous publication. 

  (3) Such  rules  may  be  general  for  all  protected  areas  for  the  time  being,  or  may  be  special  for  any 
particular protected area or areas. 

  (4) Such  rules  may  provide  that  any  person  committing  a  breach  of  any  rule  or  of  any  condition  of  a 
licence shall be punishable with fine which may extend to five thousand rupees, and may further provide that 
where the breach has been by the agent or servant of a licensee the licensee himself shall be punishable. 

20C. **Power to acquire a protected area.**—If the Central Government is of opinion that a protected area 
contains  an  ancient  monument  or  antiquities  of  national  interest  and  value,  it  may  direct  the  State 
Government to acquire such area, or any part thereof, and the State Government may thereupon acquire such 
area or part under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 (1 of 1894), as for a public purpose.

*General*

21. **Assessment of market-value or compensation.**—(1)  The  market-value  of  any  property  which 
Government is empowered to purchase at such value under this Act, or the compensation to be paid by 
Government in respect of anything done under this Act, shall, where any dispute arises in respect of such 
market-value  or  compensation,  be  ascertained  in  the  manner  provided  by  the  Land  Acquisition  Act,  1894, 
sections 3, 8 to 34, 45 to 47, 51and 52, so far as they can be made applicable: 

Provided that when making an inquiry under the said Land Acquisition Act, 1894, the Collector shall be 
assisted by two assessors' one of whom shall be a competent person nominated by the Collector, and one a 
person  nominated  by  the  owner  or, in  case the  owner  fails to  nominate  an  assessor  within  such  reasonable 
time as may be fixed by the Collector in this behalf, by the Collector. 

22. **Jurisdiction.**—A Magistrate of the third class shall not have jurisdiction to try any person charged 
with an offence against this Act. 

23. **Power to make rules.**—(1) The Central Government may, by notification in the Official 
Gazette, make rules for carrying out any of the purposes of this Act. 

  (2) The power to make rules given by this section is subject to the condition of the rules being made after 
previous publication. 

24. **Protection to public servants acting under Act.**—No  suit  for  compensation  and  no  criminal 
proceeding shall lie against any public servant in respect of any act done, or in good faith intended to be done, 
in the exercise of any power conferred by this Act.