Protection of interest in specified trees belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

(1) No Contract entered into after the commencement of this Act by an owner of any specified tree for the sale of the timber thereof shall be valid if such owner is a member of the Scheduled Castes or the Scheduled Tribes and if the Contract has been entered into without the previous permission in writing granted by the Range Officer on an application made in that behalf giving adequate description of the timber proposed to be sold. (2) On receipt of the application, the Range Officer concerned shall enquire into the case on the spot or cause such an enquiry to be made by any other forest officer and the Grama Panchayat or the urban local body concerned, as the case may be, shall be requested to send one or more of the Ward Members to the spot on the date of enquiry: Provided that in any case where the Range Officer considers that the consideration for the Contract is inadequate, he may require the owner to sell the trees to the Orissa Forest Corporation Limited or to any other State owned Corporation for such consideration amount as the Range Officer deems fit to fix. (3) The report of enquiry shall be signed by the officer conducting the enquiry, the Ward Member or members present and the applicant. (4) The report of enquiry shall, amongst other things mention the number of trees specieswise, the girth of each tree and the reasonable consideration for the timber. (5) On being satisfied about the right, title and interest of the applicant in the tree and the adequacy of the consideration for the contract, the Range Officer shall permit the timber to be lifted by the purchaser on payment of the consideration money in his presence. (6) If no orders are passed by the Range Officer on the application within fifteen days from the date of receipt thereof, it shall be open to the owner of the tree to sell the tree to any person of his choice.