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The Indian Forest Act, 1927

Central

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

Act number
16 of 1927
Ministry
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
Enacted
21 Sep 1927
In force from
21 Sep 1927

Source: IndiaCode Portal, Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India. Open on India Code Check against the official text before relying on it.

88 sections

  1. Section 1Short title and extent.
  2. Section 2Interpretation clause.
  3. Section 3Power to reserve forests.
  4. Section 4Notification by State Government.
  5. Section 5Bar of accrual of forest-rights.
  6. Section 6Proclamation by Forest Settlement-officer.
  7. Section 7Inquiry by Forest Settlement-officer.
  8. Section 8Powers of Forest Settlement-officer.
  9. Section 9Extinction of rights.
  10. Section 10Treatment of claims relating to practice of shifting cultivation.
  11. Section 11Power to acquire land over which right is claimed.
  12. Section 12Order on claims to rights of pasture or to forest-produce.
  13. Section 13Record to be made by Forest Settlement-officer.
  14. Section 14Record where he admits claim.
  15. Section 15Exercise of rights admitted.
  16. Section 16Commutation of rights.
  17. Section 17Appeal from order passed under section 11, section 12, section 15 or section 16.
  18. Section 18Appeal under section 17.
  19. Section 19Pleaders.
  20. Section 20Notification declaring forest reserved.
  21. Section 21Publication of translation of such notification in neighbourhood of forest.
  22. Section 22Power to revise arrangement made under section 15 or section 18.
  23. Section 23No right acquired over reserved forest, except as here provided.
  24. Section 24Rights not to be alienated without sanction.
  25. Section 25Power to stop ways and water-courses in reserved forests.
  26. Section 26Acts prohibited in such forests.
  27. Section 27Power to declare forest no longer reserved.
  28. Section 28Formation of village-forests.
  29. Section 29Protected forests.
  30. Section 30Power to issue notification reserving trees, etc.
  31. Section 31Publication of translation of such notification in neighbourhood.
  32. Section 32Power to make rules for protected forests.
  33. Section 33Penalties for acts in contravention of notification under section 30 or of rules under section 32.
  34. Section 34Nothing in this Chapter to prohibit acts done in certain cases.
  35. Section 35Protection of forests for special purposes.
  36. Section 36Power to assume management of forests.
  37. Section 37Expropriation of forests in certain cases.
  38. Section 38Protection of forests at request of owners.
  39. Section 39Power to impose duty on timber and other forest-produce.
  40. Section 40Limit not to apply to purchase-money or royalty.
  41. Section 41Power to make rules to regulate transit of forest-produce.
  42. Section 41APowers of Central Government as to movements of timber across customs frontiers.
  43. Section 42Penalty for breach of rules made under section 41.
  44. Section 43Governments and Forest-officers not liable for damage to forest-produce at depot.
  45. Section 44All persons bound to aid in case of accident at depot.
  46. Section 45Certain kinds of timber to be deemed property of Government until title thereto proved, and may be collected accordingly.
  47. Section 46Notice to claimants of drift-timber.
  48. Section 47Procedure on claim preferred to such timber.
  49. Section 48Disposal of unclaimed timber.
  50. Section 49Government and its officers not liable for damage to such timber.
  51. Section 50Payments to be made by claimant before timber is delivered to him.
  52. Section 51Power to make rules and prescribe penalties.
  53. Section 52Seizure of property liable to confiscation.
  54. Section 53Power to release property seized under section 52.
  55. Section 54Procedure thereupon.
  56. Section 55Forest-produce, tools, etc., when liable to confiscation.
  57. Section 56Disposal, on conclusion of trial for forest-offence, of produce in respect of which it was committed.
  58. Section 57Procedure when offender not known, or cannot be found.
  59. Section 58Procedure as to perishable property seized under section 52.
  60. Section 59Appeal from orders under section .55, section 56 or section 57.
  61. Section 60Property when to vest in Government.
  62. Section 61Saving of power to release property seized.
  63. Section 62Punishment for wrongful seizure.
  64. Section 63Penalty for counterfeiting or defacing marks on trees and timber and for altering boundary-marks.
  65. Section 64Power to arrest without warrant.
  66. Section 65Power to release on a bond a person arrested.
  67. Section 66Power to prevent commission of offence.
  68. Section 67Power to try offences summarily.
  69. Section 68Power to compound offences and impose penalties.
  70. Section 69Presumption that forest-produce belongs to Government.
  71. Section 70Cattle-trespass Act, 1871, to apply.
  72. Section 71Power to alter fines fixed under that Act.
  73. Section 72State Government may invest Forest-officers with certain powers.
  74. Section 73Forest-officers deemed public servants.
  75. Section 74Indemnity for acts done in good faith.
  76. Section 75Forest-officers not to trade.
  77. Section 76Additional powers to make rules.
  78. Section 77Penalties for breach of rules.
  79. Section 78Rules when to have force of law.
  80. Section 79Persons bound to assist Forest-officers and police-officers.
  81. Section 80Management of forests the joint property of Government and other persons.
  82. Section 81Failure to perform service for which a share in produce of Government forest is enjoyed.
  83. Section 82Recovery of money due to Government.
  84. Section 83Lien on forest-produce for such money.
  85. Section 84Land required under this Act to be deemed to be needed for a public purpose under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894.
  86. Section 85Recovery of penalties due under bond.
  87. Section 85ASaving for rights of Central Government.
  88. Section 86[Repealed.].