Power of State Government to declare archaeological sites and remains to be protected areas.

(1) Where the State Government is of opinion that any archaeological site and remains, not declared by or under any law made by Parliament to be of national importance, should be a protected area, it may by notification in the Official Gazette, give two months' notice of its intention to declare such archaeological site and remains to be a protected area, and a copy of every such notification shall be affixed in a conspicuous place near the site and remains.

(2) If any person interested in any such archaeological site and remains has any objection to the same being declared a protected area, he may within two months of the publication of the notification under sub-section (1) submit his objection in writing to the State Government.

(3) On the expiry of the said period of two months, the State Government may, after considering the objections, if any, received by it under sub-section (2), declare by notification in the Official Gazette the archaeological site and remains to be a protected area.

(4) A notification published under sub-section (3) shall, unless and until it is withdrawn, be conclusive evidence of the fact that the archaeological site and remains to which it relates is a protected area for the purposes of this Act.