The Tamil Nadu Forest Act 1882

tamil-nadu · 1882

The scanned source for this Act is imperfect — headings or section boundaries may be off. Verify against the official source.

S. 1Short Title
S. 2Section 2 imposes imprisonment, fine, or both for violations in non-government controlled forests.
S. 3The 1Government may constitute any land at the disposal of Government a reserved forest in the manner hereinafter pro
S. 4Section 4 mandates government notification for reserving forest land, specifying boundaries and appointing an officer to assess rights.
S. 5Section 5 bars Civil Courts from hearing suits over rights in notified forest lands during the forest settlement period.
S. 6Section 6 mandates the Forest Settlement Officer to publish a proclamation detailing reserved forest boundaries and rights claims.
S. 7Section 7 prohibits land clearing and unauthorized rights in proclaimed forest lands, except with government permission.
S. 8Section 8 mandates the Forest Settlement Officer to document claims and objections regarding forest claims and evidence.
S. 9Section 9 grants the Forest Settlement Officer powers to survey lands and compel witness attendance and document production.
S. 10Section 10 outlines the process for the Forest Settlement Officer to evaluate and decide on claims for rights over land, excluding specific rights, and may lead to agreements, exclusions, or acquisitions.
S. 11Section 11 specifies the process for admitting and recording claims for rights related to land, buildings, and forest produce in Tamil Nadu.
S. 12Section 12 of the Tamil Nadu Forest Act 1882 provides for the exercise of pasture or forest produce rights by altering forest boundaries or recording continuing rights with specific conditions.
S. 13Section 13 allows the Forest Settlement Officer to commute rights to pasture or forest produce by monetary payment or land grant.
S. 14Section 14 allows appeals against Forest Settlement Officer orders to a forest court or a designated Revenue Officer.
S. 15Section 15 outlines the procedure for filing appeals under Section 14 to the Forest Settlement Officer.
S. 16Section 16 allows the government to reserve forest lands after claims and appeals are resolved and acquired lands are vested.
S. 17Section 17-A allows the government to redefine the limits of reserved forests to correct defects or clarify boundaries.
S. 18Section 18 prohibits acquiring rights in reserved forests without government grant or contract, except by succession.
S. 19Section 19 prohibits alienation of continued forest rights without government sanction, except when tied to land or buildings, and penalizes violations.
S. 20Section 20 allows the District Forest Officer to close public or private ways in reserved forests with government approval, provided a substitute exists.
S. 21Section 21 of the Tamil Nadu Forest Act 1882 penalizes various acts of forest damage and unauthorized activities in reserved forests with imprisonment and fines.
S. 22Suspension of rights in reserved forests
S. 23Section 23 mandates village officers and residents near reserved forests to report forest fires and offenses, and assist officers in preventing and extinguishing fires and forest crimes.
S. 24The section allows the government to revoke reserved forest status by official notification.
S. 25Section 25 empowers the government to declare previously reserved forests as reserved forests under this Act.
S. 26Section 26 regulates the use of non-reserved government land, including cultivation, fire prevention, and resource collection.
S. 27Section 27 allows the government to close land to pasture if fire is caused willfully or negligently, despite penalties.
S. 28Section penalizes cattle trespassing in closed forest land and infringement of rules for scheduled timber with imprisonment and fines.
S. 29The section allows the government to regulate or prohibit activities like cultivation and cattle pasturing in forest wastelands to protect the environment and infrastructure.
S. 30Section 30 allows the government to lease or acquire private forests or land if the owner refuses to comply with regulations.
S. 31Section allows government to acquire forest land under the Land Acquisition Act for public purposes instead of taking it under forest control.
S. 32Section 32 allows landowners to request the government to manage their land as a reserved forest or under specific terms.
S. 33Section 33 of the Tamil Nadu Forest Act 1882 allows the government to manage jointly owned forests or wastelands and issue regulations for their management.
S. 34Persons employed to carry out the Act to be deemed Forest Officers
S. 35Section 35 empowers the government to regulate timber transit in Tamil Nadu, including routes, passes, and river obstructions.
S. 36Section 36 of the Tamil Nadu Forest Act 1882 prescribes penalties for sandalwood infringement and limits sandalwood possession to five kilograms without a license.
S. 37Section 37 establishes a Forest Court to hear appeals, composed of a judge, a collector, and a government-selected non-profit member.
S. 38Section 38 appoints a judge as president of the court and outlines procedures for official members and appeal hearings.
S. 39Section 39 outlines the procedure for appeals and cases in the Forest Court, including references to the High Court for significant legal questions.
S. 40Section 40 of the Tamil Nadu Forest Act 1882 mandates the final order of the Forest Court after High Court reference.
S. 41Seizure of property liable to confiscation
S. 42Procedure thereupon
S. 43Section 43 of the Tamil Nadu Forest Act 1882 mandates confiscation of all forest-related tools and produce used in committing forest offenses.
S. 44Section 44 directs the District Forest Officer to seize and the court to dispose of timber or forest produce involved in a forest offense.
S. 45Section 45 allows a Magistrate to confiscate and seize property if an offense is suspected, with a one-month waiting period and notice to interested parties.
S. 46Procedure in regard to perishable property seized under section 41
S. 47Section 47 allows interested parties to appeal against property seizure orders within a month, with final disposition under criminal procedure.
S. 48Section 48 vests confiscated property in the State after an appeal period elapses without appeal or confirmation.
S. 49Section 49-A allows forest officers to confiscate government-owned timber and related tools if a forest offense is suspected.
S. 50Section penalizes counterfeiting, defacing, or altering forest marks and boundary marks with up to two years imprisonment and fine.
S. 51Section 51 allows Forest or Police Officers to arrest suspected forest offenders without a warrant if they refuse to provide true identity details.
S. 52Section penalizes Forest or Police Officers for wrongful seizure or arrest, imposing up to six months' imprisonment or a fine of up to 500 rupees.
S. 53Section 53 empowers Forest and Police Officers to prevent and stop forest offenses.
S. 54Section 54 allows prosecution under other laws for forest offenses, with no double punishment; Section 55 empowers Forest Officers to compound certain forest offenses by accepting compensation.
S. 55Power to compound offences
S. 56Presumption that timber or forest produce belongs to the Central or State Government
S. 57Section 57 allows seizure of cattle trespassing in prohibited forest areas, treating them as trespassers under the Cattle Trespass Act, 1871.
S. 58Section 58 allows the government to set alternative fines for impounded cattle instead of those in section 12.
S. 59Section 59 empowers Forest Officers to act as settlement-officers, compel witness attendance, conduct inquiries, and issue search warrants.
S. 60All Forest Officers shall be deemed to be public servants within the meaning of the Indian Penal Code
S. 61No suit or criminal prosecution shall lie against any public servant for anything done or omitted in good faith under t
S. 62Omitted
S. 63Section 63 empowers the government to make rules for Forest Officers' duties, Forest Settlement Officers' procedures, and tree preservation.
S. 64Section 64 of the Tamil Nadu Forest Act 1882 makes government rules made under the Act legally binding and allows them to be modified by the legislature.
S. 65Section 65 allows the government to delegate certain powers to the Board of Revenue or another appointed authority.
S. 66Section 66 allows the recovery of unpaid government dues from forest activities as if they were land revenue arrears.
S. 67Section 67 ensures unpaid dues on forest produce are prioritized, allowing seizure or sale if not paid, with proceeds used first to clear debts.
S. 68Section 68 of the Tamil Nadu Forest Act 1882 allows land deemed necessary for the Act's purposes to be acquired under the Land Acquisition Act, 1870.
S. 1870Section 1870 of the Tamil Nadu Forest Act 1882 allows Forest Settlement Officers to acquire lands by compensation, with appeals for rejected claims to the District Court.
S. 1882Section 1882 allows the Tamil Nadu Government to exempt or modify areas from the Act's provisions.