Vidhi Codex

The Telangana Forest Act, 1967

The Telangana Forest Act, 1967

Environmental196793 sections

The Telangana Forest Act, 1967 provides the legal framework for declaring, protecting, and managing reserved and protected forests across the State of Telangana. It regulates activities such as land clearing, timber harvesting, cattle grazing, mining, and the transit or possession of forest produce, with strict penalties for unauthorized felling of valuable species like sandalwood and red sanders. The law applies to residents, landowners, traders, visitors, and state officials dealing with forest resources. It matters because it protects vital ecosystems, prevents illegal deforestation and resource smuggling, and establishes structured procedures for settling public and private land rights within forested areas.

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  1. 1. Short title, extent and commencement.
  2. 2. Definitions.
  3. 3. Power to reserve forests.
  4. 4. Notification by Government.
  5. 5. Suits barred.
  6. 6. Proclamation by Forest Settlement Officer.
  7. 7. Bar of accrual of forest rights and prohibition of clearings.
  8. 8. Inquiry by Forest Settlement Officer.
  9. 9. Powers of Forest Settlement Officer.
  10. 10. Claims to certain rights.
  11. 11. Claims to rights of way, etc.,
  12. 12. Compensation for rights.
  13. 13. Appeals from the orders of Forest Settlement Officer.
  14. 14. Appointment of Pleaders.
  15. 15. Notification declaring forest reserved.
  16. 16. Section 16
  17. 17. No right acquired over reserved forest except as herein provided.
  18. 18. Right continued under section 11 not to be alienated without sanction.
  19. 19. Power to stop ways and water courses in reserved forests.
  20. 20. Penalties for trespass or damage in reserved forest and acts prohibited in such forest.
  21. 21. Suspension of rights in reserved forest.
  22. 22. Persons bound to assist forest officer and police officer.
  23. 23. Power to declare reserved forest as no longer reserved.
  24. 24. Protected Forests.
  25. 25. Power to close forest against pasture.
  26. 26. Power to issue notification reserving trees, etc.,
  27. 27. Power to make rules.
  28. 28. Power to declare protected forest to cease to be protected.
  29. 29. Power to make rules to regulate the transit and possession of timber and other forest produce.
  30. 30. Government and forest officers not liable for damage to forest produce at depots and stations.
  31. 31. Persons employed at depots and stations bound to aid in case of accident.
  32. 32. Possession of sandal-wood under licence or mark.
  33. 33. Forms and conditions of licence.
  34. 34. Power to cancel or suspend licence.
  35. 35. Appeal.
  36. 36. Penalties.
  37. 37. Certain kinds of timber to be deemed property of Government until title thereto is proved and may be collected accordingly.
  38. 38. Notice to claimants to drift timber.
  39. 39. Procedure on the presentation of claim to such timber.
  40. 40. Disposal of unclaimed timber.
  41. 41. Government and their officers not liable for damage to timber collected under section 37.
  42. 42. Payment to be made by claimant before timber is delivered to him.
  43. 43. Power to make rules and prescribe penalty for contravention thereof.
  44. 44. Seizure of property liable to confiscation and procedure thereupon.
  45. 45. Timber, forest produce, tools etc., when liable to confiscation.
  46. 46. Disposal on conclusion of trial for forest offence of timber or forest produce in respect of which it was committed.
  47. 47. Procedure when offender is not known or cannot be found.
  48. 49. Appeal from orders under section 45, section 46, or section 47.
  49. 51. Saving of power to release property seized.
  50. 52. Penalty for counterfeiting marks on trees and timber and for altering boundary marks.
  51. 54. Power to release on bond a person arrested.
  52. 55. Punishment of wrongful seizure or arrest.
  53. 56. Power to prevent commission of offence.
  54. 57. Power to try offences summarily.
  55. 58. Operation of other laws not barred.
  56. 58-A. Order of confiscation not to bar imposition of other penalty.
  57. 60. Presumption that timber or forest produce belongs to the Central or State Government.
  58. 63. Forest officers deemed public servants.
  59. 64. Power of entry and inspection.
  60. 65. Indemnity for acts done in good faith.
  61. 67. Power of Government to exempt any area from the provisions of the Act.
  62. 69. Government may delegate powers.
  63. 71. Land required under this Act to be deemed to be needed for public purpose under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894.
  64. 33(2-D). Confiscation of property
  65. 33(2-E). Confiscation of property
  66. 33(3). Confiscation of property
  67. 33(4). Confiscation of property
  68. 33(5). Confiscation of property
  69. 48(1). Procedure in regard to perishable property seized under section 44.
  70. 48(2). Procedure in regard to perishable property seized under section 44.
  71. 50(1). Property when to vest in Government.
  72. 50(2). Property when to vest in Government.
  73. 53(1). Power to arrest without warrant.
  74. 53(2). Power to arrest without warrant.
  75. 59(1). Power to compound offences.
  76. 59(2). Power to compound offences.
  77. 61(1). Cattle Trespass Act, 1871 to apply.
  78. 61(2). Cattle Trespass Act, 1871 to apply.
  79. 62(1). Government may invest forest officers with certain powers.
  80. 62(2). Government may invest forest officers with certain powers.
  81. 62(3). Government may invest forest officers with certain powers.
  82. 66(1). Revision.
  83. 66(2). Revision.
  84. 66(3). Revision.
  85. 68(1). Power of Government to make rules.
  86. 68(2). Power of Government to make rules.
  87. 68(3). Power of Government to make rules.
  88. 68(4). Power of Government to make rules.
  89. 70(1). Recovery of money due to Government.
  90. 70(2). Recovery of money due to Government.
  91. 70(3). Recovery of money due to Government.
  92. 72(1). Repeal.
  93. 72(2). Repeal.

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