Amendment status not verified — confirm the current text below against the official source.
Power to declare forest no longer reserved-The Government may, by nottficatton in the Gazette, dirt"ct that, from a date to be fixed bv such notification, any forest or any portio·1 thet eof reserved or dee :ned to be reserved under this Act shall cease to be reserved. From the date so fixed, such forest or portion shall cease to be reserved ; but the rights if any which have been extinguished therein shall not revive in consequence of such cessation. 2 7. Penalties for trespass or damage in Reserved Forests and acts prohi- bited tn such forests.- (I) Any person who- (a) makes any clearing prohibited by section 7 ; or (b) sets fire to a Reserved Forest or a Forest proposed to be reserved under section 6, or kindles or leaves burning any fire in such manner as to endanger the same ; or (c) sets fire to jungles, or forests, other than Reserved Forests and forests propose::! to be reserved under section 6, without taking precaut10nary measures to prevent the spread of fire into Rerserved Forests; or (d) knowingly receives or has in possession any major forest produce illicitly removed from a Rererved Forest; or who, in a Reserved forest; (e) clears, cultivates or breaks up any land for cultivation or for any other purpose or puts up any shed or other structures or plants trees; or (f) damages, alters or removes any wall, ditch, embankment, fence, edge, or railing ; or (g) fells, girdles, marks, lops, taps, uproots, burns, saws, converts or removes, any tree the value of which exceeds one hundred rupees, or strips off the bark or leaves from or otherwise damages the same, shall be pumshed with Imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years and With fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, in addition to such compensation for damage done to the forest as the convicting court may direct to be paid. Explanation.-For the purpose of this sub-section the forest produce enumerated m the schedule shall be deemed to be major forest produce. (2) Any person who- (a) knowingly receives or has in possession any forest produce other than a major forest produce illicitly removed from a forest ; or who, in a Reserved Forest- ( b) kindles, keeps or carries any fire, except at such seasons and in such manner as the Divisional Forest Officer may, from time to time, notify ; or • • r 27 (c) trespasses or pastures cattle or permits or causes cattle to trespass ; er (d) fells, girdles, marks, lops, tap~, uproots, butns, saws, con- verts or removes, any tree the value of which docs not exceed one hundred rupees, or strips off the bark or leaves from or otherwise dama- ges the same ; or (e) quarne~ stones, burns hmc or charcoal, or collects or subjects to any manufacturing process or removes any forest produce , or (f) in contravention of any rule made by Government, hunts, shoots, fishes, poiSons water or traps or snares ; (g) causes any damage by negligence in felling any tree or cutting or dragging any timber, shall be punished with impnsonment for a term wh1ch may extend to three years or with fine wh1ch may extend to one thousand rupees or with both. (3) If any agricultural or other crop is grown or any shed or other structure is put up in contraventiOn of clause (e) of sub-sectwn (I) and any person IS conv1cted for that offence, such crops, sheds or other structures shall be hable to confiscation by order of the convtctmg Magistrate. (4) Nothing in_this section shall be deemed to prohibit- (a) any act done in accmdance with any rule made by the Government or With the permission m writing of the Chief Conservator of Forests, Conservatm of Fmests, or the Diviswnal Forest Officer or of an officer authonsed by any of them to grant such permission ; or (b) the exercise of any right continued under section 17 or created by grant 01 contract in the~manner described m sectwn 22 : Provided that this section shall not be held to interfere with such working of the forest as may be ordered by the Chief Conservator of Forests, Conservator of Forests or the Div1sional Forest Officer.