NEW DELHI: The culture ministry has said it will revisit the policy which regulates construction around centrally-protected monuments and classify them based on their historical significance.At present, the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, imposes a ban on construction of any kind within a 100 metre periphery of centrally-protected monuments and allows only certain types of regulated construction within the 100-200 metre perimeter.While conservationists may disagree, many in the government believe the existing provisions come in the way of significant development work around these areas. With this in mind, the government had moved an amendment to the law in 2018 through which it sought to remove these restrictions.A parliamentary standing committee, which examined the bill and submitted its report in February 2019, advocated the need for a law that balanced preservation of monuments of historical significance and development of infrastructure around them, keeping in mind the needs of tourists as well as those who live around them.Minister of state for tourism and culture Prahlad Singh Patel said his ministry has directed the relevant authorities to produce a roadmap for the reclassification. “If a mazaar or a samadhi is there and there is limitation that for 300 metres nothing can be built, why should it be so ... we are preparing the amendments.” Patel said.Revisiting the legislation, the ministry has clarified, will not impact a monument like the Taj Mahal, for which the construction restrictions extend to a 500 metre periphery.The same exception, however, will not be applicable to all burial grounds or samadhi, a decision that is in line with the standing committee’s view that a blanket ban on construction around archaeological monuments acts as an impediment to infrastructure projects, especially in cases where the construction is not likely to impact the monument. A comprehensive reclassification will also allow the government to repopulate its list of centrally protected monuments to include some important sites currently being maintained by state governments.