Power to make rules

(1) Subject to all rights now vested in individuals and communities by law or custom or usage having the force of law, the Government may make rules to regulate the use of the pasturage or of the natural produce of any land at the disposal of Government and not included in a Reserved Forest. Such rules may, with respect to such land— (a) regulate or prohibit the clearing or breaking up of land for cultivation or other purposes or putting up of sheds or other structures, or the planting of trees; (b) regulate or prohibit the kindling of fires and prescribe the precautions to be taken to prevent the spreading of fires; (c) regulate or prohibit the cutting, sawing, conversion and removal of trees and timber and the collection and removal of natural produce; (d) regulate or prohibit the quarrying of stone, the boiling of catechu, the burning of lime or charcoal or the distilling of essential oils; (e) regulate or prohibit the cutting of grass and pasturing of cattle and regulate the payments, if any, to be made for such cutting or pasturing; (f) regulate or prohibit hunting, shooting, fishing, poisoning of water and setting traps or snares; (g) regulate the sale or free grant of timber or other natural produce; and (h) prescribe the fees, royalties or other payments for timber or other natural produce, and the manner in which such fees, royalties or other payments shall be levied. And whoever commits an infringement of any of those rules shall, on conviction before a Magistrate, be liable to imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or to fine which may extend to Rs. 100, or to both. (2) If any agricultural or other crop is grown or any shed or other structure is put up in contravention of the rules framed under clause (a) of sub-section (1) of this section and any person is convicted for that offence, such crop or shed or other structure shall be liable to confiscation by order of the convicting Magistrate: Provided that the Government may exempt any person or class of persons from the operation of all or any of these rules.