The Forest Act, 1927

( ACT NO. XVI OF 1927 )

1♣An Act to consolidate the law relating to forests, the transit of forest-produce and the duty leviable on timber and other forest-produce.

 
WHEREAS it is expedient to consolidate the law relating to forests, the transit of forest-produce and the duty leviable on timber and other forest-produce; It is hereby enacted as follows:-
 
 
 

CONTENTS

SECTIONS

1. Short title and extent

2. Interpretation clause

3. Power to reserve forests

4. Notification by Government

5. Bar of accrual of forest rights

6. Proclamation by Forest Settlement officer

7. Inquiry by Forest Settlement officer

8. Powers of Forest Settlement-officer

9. Extinction of rights

10. Treatment of claims relating to practice of shifting cultivation

11. Power to acquire land over which right is claimed

12. Order on claims to rights of pasture or to forest-produce

13. Record to be made by Forest Settlement-officer

14. Record where the admits claim

15. Exercise of rights admitted

16. Commutation of rights

16A. Time limit for resolution of claims

17. Appeal from order passed under section 11, section 12, section 15 or section 16

18. Appeal under section 17

19. Pleaders

20. Notification declaring forest reserved

21. Publication of translation of such notification in neighbourhood of forest

22. Power to revise arrangement made under section 15 or section 18

23. No right acquired over reserved forest, except as here provided

24. Rights not to be alienated without sanction

25. Power to stop ways and water-courses in reserved forests

26. Acts prohibited in such forests

27. Power to declare forest no longer reserved

Chapter III

2OF VILLAGE-FORESTS AND SOCIAL FORESTRY

28B. Effect of other of law on social forestry

28. Formation of village forests

28A. Social Forestry

29. Protected forests

30. Power to issue notification reserving trees, etc.

31. Publication of translation of such notification in neighbourhood

32. Power to make rules for protected forests

33. Penalties for acts in contravention of [section 28A or of] notification under section 30 or of rules under section 32

34. Nothing in this Chapter to prohibit acts done in certain cases

35. [Repealed]

36. [Repealed]

37. [Repealed]

38. [Repealed]

38A. Operation of the Privet Forest Ordinance

38C. Restricted activities

38B. Notice of forest management activities

38D. Abetment of forest nuisances

39. Power to impose duty on timber and other forest produce

40. Limit not apply to purchase money for royalty

41. Power to make rules to regulate transit of forest-produce

41A. [Omitted ]

42. Penalty for breach of rules made under section 41

43. Government and Forest-officers not liable for damage to forest-produce at depot

44. All persons bound to aid in case of accident at depot

45. Certain kinds of timber to be deemed property of Government until title thereto proved, and may be collected accordingly

46. Notice to claimants of drift timber

47. Procedure on claim preferred to such timber

48. Disposal of unclaimed timber

49. Government and its officers not liable for damage to such timber

50. Payments to be made by claimant before timber is delivered to- him

51. Power to make rule and prescribe penalties

52. Seizure of property liable to confiscation

53. Power to release property seized under section 52

54. Procedure thereupon

55. Forest produce, tools, etc. when liable to confiscation

56. Disposal on conclusion of trial for forest-offence of produce in respect which it was committed

57. Procedure when offender not known, or cannot be found

58. Procedure as to perishable property seized under section 52

59. Appeal from orders under section 55, section 56, or section 57

60. Property when to vest in Government

61. Saving of power to release property seized

62. Punishment for wrongful seizure

63. Penalty for counterfeiting or defacing marks on trees and timber and for altering boundary marks

63A. Some offence to be non-bailable

64. Power to arrest without warrant

65. Power to release on a bond a person arrested

66. Power to prevent commission of offence

67. Power to try offences summarily

67A. Appointment of forest Magistrate

68. Power to compound offences

69. Presumption that forest produce belongs to Government

69A. Prosecution of forest-offences

70. Cattle-tress-pass Act, 1871, to apply

71. Power to alter fines fixed under that Act

72. Government may invest Forest-Officers with certain powers

73. Forest-officers deemed public servants

74. Indemnity for acts done in good faith

75. Forest-officers not to trade

76. Additional powers to make rules

77. Penalties for breach of rules

78. Rules when to have force of law

79. Persons bound to assist Forest-officers and Police-officers

80. Management of forests the joint property of Government and other persons

81. Failure to perform service for which a share in produce of Government forest is enjoyed

82. Recovery of money due to Government

83. Lien on forest-produce for such money

84. Land required under this Act to be deemed to be needed for a public purpose under the Acquisition and Requisition of Immovable Property Ordinance, 1982

85. Recovery of penalties due under bond

85A. [Omitted]

86. [Omitted]

Schedule

SCHEDULE