Purchase of minor forest produce.

(1) The State Government or the authorised officer or agent shall be bound to purchase at the price fixed under section 4 any minor forest produce offered for sale at the purchasing centre or depot during the hours notified for the purpose under sub-section (2) of section 8;

Provided that the State Government or the authorised officer or the agent may refuse to purchase any minor forest produce which, in the opinion of the State Government, authorised officer or, as the case may be, the agent is not fit for the purpose of manufacture of finished goods using such produce, or for any other commercial purpose.

(2) Any person aggrieved by the refusal of the authorised officer or the agent to purchase any minor forest produce may, within fifteen days from the date of such refusal, make a complaint such refusal to such officer superior in rank to the authorised officer, as the State Government may empower in this behalf for the purpose of hearing such complaints.

(3) On receipt of a complaint under sub-section (2), the officer empowered to hear complaints under sub-section (2) (hereinafter referred to as "the competent officer") may, after holding such inquiry as he thinks fit and after hearing the parties concerned, either allow or reject the complaint.

(4) Where the competent officer allows the complaint on the ground that the refusal of the authorised officer or the agent to purchase the minor forest produce was not justified, he may direct the authorised officer or the agent, to purchase the same, and to pay to the aggrieved person such price for the minor forest produce so purchased by him as the aggrieved person would have been entitled to under sub-section(1) had the authorised officer or the agent, as the case may be, not refused to purchase it.

(5) Nothing in this section shall be construed to debar the State Government or the authorised officer or the agent from appropriating to the State Government any minor forest produce offered for sale, if the State Government or the authorised officer or the agent has reason to believe that such produce appertains to forest or land belonging to the State Government and paying to the person so offering such produce for sale only such charges, if any as may have been incurred by such person in collecting such produce, subject to such rules, as the State Government may from time to time make.

(6) Where any person is aggrieved by the appropriation of the minor forest produce to the State Government under sub-section (5) by an authorised officer or an agent, he may make a complaint to the competent officer.

(7) On receipt of a complaint under sub-section (6) the competent officer may, after holding such inquiry as he thinks fit and after hearing the parties concerned, either allow or reject the complaint.

(8) Where the competent officer allows the complaint, he may direct the authorised officer or the agent to make payment to the aggrieved person of an amount not less than the price of such minor forest produce as would have been payable to him under this section at the time when such produce was appropriated to the State Government.