Chapter III OFFICERS AND SERVANTS

1. (1) As soon as may be after this Act is brought into force in any urban area, the urban local authority concerned shall, subject to sub-section (2), appoint one or more of its officers as Tree Officers for the purposes of this Act.
2. (2) In Greater Bombay any officer to be appointed as Tree Officer shall not be below the rank of Ward Officer, and in other municipal corporation areas such officer shall not be below the rank of Assistant Municipal Commissioner. In every municipal area, the Chief Officer of the municipal council concerned shall be Tree Officer, and the Council may appoint one or more of its other officers as Tree Officers.
3. (3) Every Tree Officer shall exercise jurisdiction over the whole or such part of the urban area as 1[the Tree Authority] may, from time to time, determine.

1. (1) The urban local authority may, from time to time, appoint, such other officers and servants subordinate to the Tree Officer, as it considers necessary : Provided that, where the urban local authority is a municipal council notwithstanding any restrictions on the appointment of staff contained in the 1Maharashtra Municipalities Act, 1965 (Mah. XL of 1965), the municipal council shall be competent to appoint the staff considered necessary by it for the purposes of this Act.
2. (2) The conditions of appointment and service and the powers and duties of such officers and servants shall be such as may be determined by the urban local authority.

1[6A. Duties of Maharashtra State Tree Authority.- Notwithstanding anything contained in the relevant Act or in any other law for the time being in force, and subject to any special or general directions given by the State Government, the Maharashtra State Tree Authority shall be responsible for,-

1. (i) monitoring the functioning of the Tree Authority;
2. (ii) protection and conservation of heritage trees across the State; 2* * *
3. (v) any other functions related to protection and conservation of trees.]