8. Reservation of areas.-

(1) The Central Government may, from time to time, by notification in the Official Gazette, reserve any offshore area not already held under any operating right, for the purposes of the Central Government and, where it proposes to do so, it shall, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify the boundaries of such area and the mineral or minerals in respect of which such area shall be reserved.

(2) The Central Government may, from time to time, by notification in the Official Gazette, dereserve, any area reserved under sub-section (1), in the interest of development and regulation of the offshore mineral.