The Protected Forest Rules, 1957
RJ80
In exercise of the powers conferred by Section 32 of the Rajasthan Forest Act, 1953 (Act No. XIII of 1953), the Governor of Rajasthan is pleased to make the following rules, namely:-
Part I
- (a) Title and commencement.- These Rules shall be called the Protected Forest Rules, 1957, and shall come into force on their publication in the Gazette.
(b) Interpretation. - In these rules, 'Form" means a form appended to these rules.
Part II
Rules for cutting, Sawing conversion and removal of Trees and Timber and the collection, manufacture and removal of forest produce from protected forests.
- Cutting.- No person shall fell, girdle, lop. top, uproot, burn. strip off burn or leaves, saw, convert, remove, fashion, manufacture, collect and export any tree these rules, and with the conditions express or implied of any contract given by the State Government for the removal of Forest produce.
- Protected trees.- The following trees shall not be felled, girdled, lopped, topped, uprooted, burnt, or their bark or leaves stripped off except with the writing permission of the Divisional Forest Officer, namely:
(a) Trees marked as standards.– Such trees shall have some distinctive marks such as coaltar rings.
(b) Kadaya, Khair, Aam, Mahuwa, Bahewa, Aonla, Beela, Chandan, Achar, Jamun, Semi, Bad, Pipal, Imli, Tendu, Bans, Kadam, Neem, Salar, Khirni
- Manner of cutting.- (a) Felling shall be started systematically from one end of the coupe and not haphazard.
(b) Cutting shall be done with sharp axe or saw as near to the ground as possible.
(c) Stumps shall not be more than 6" in height and shall be dressed in such a manner that, rainwater does not collect.
(d) No tree shall be felled, the felling of which is likely to cause erosion or land slide.
(e) Pits for sawing shall be dug in such places and in such manner as to cause the least amount of damage to the forest growth. When the sawing is finished, the saw pits shall be refilled by the sawyers.
(f) No tree or timber shall be dragged or slided except under the written permission of the Divisional Forest Officer concerned.
- Charcoal.- Charcoal shall be burnt only in places pointed out for purpose by the Divisional Forest Officer or any other officer authorised by him in this behalf.
- Felling in night.- No forest produce, shall be felled, converted. or extracted from the forest between half an hour after sunset and an hour before sun-rise. Burning of charcoal or boiling of Katha chips may, however, proceed throughout the day and night.
- Removal.- All forest produce removal from the protected forests shall be in accordance with a permit issued in the Form I and shall pass through chowkies/nakas specified in the permit.
- Uprooting.- No tree shall be uprooted unless specifically permitted by the Divisional Forest Officer and expressly provided in the terms of sale.
- Marking by purchaser.- All timber, converted or unconverted fashioned or unfashioned, shall be marked with duly registered property hammer by the purchaser before extraction outside the limits of the coupe.
Part III
Rules for the regulation of the grant of Permits and Licences to the inhabitants of towns and villages in the vicinity of protected forests to take trees, timber or other forest produce for licence by such persons.
- Licence for personal use.- No person shall cut, convert, fashion, remove or extract any tree or timber or any other forest produce from any protected forest for his own use without obtaining a licence from the Range Officer or any other subordinate Officer empowered by him in this regard.
- Licence Form.- The licence shall be in Form 11 and shall be produce for inspection on demand by any forest or Police Officer.
- No sale.- The holder of a licence shall use the tree, timber and/or other forest produce for his own agricultural or domestic purpose and shall not sell such produce.
- Payment for forest produce- All payments in respect of a tree, timber. and/ or other produce shall be made in advance at the office from which the licence is issued.
- Rates of Payments.- Payment shall be made in accordance with the rates specified for any area by the Government from time to time for such trees, timber and/ or other forest produce.
- Carrying of the produce.- All trees, timber and other forest produce extracted by the licence holder shall pass through the chowkies/nakas specified by Divisional Forest Officer. The licence shall be endorsed by the check moharrir of nakedar, entering the description of the produce together with the time of its removal.
Any forest produce covered by any licence but not endorsed by the check moharrir or nakedar shall be deemed to have been extracted without any authority and shall be subject to seizure and confiscation.
- Katha and Lime.- No person shall boil katha or burn lime in the forest except in such places as may be pointed out for the purpose by the Range Officer or any officer subordinate to him and authorised by him in this behalf.
Part IV
Rajasthan of Clearing and Breaking of land for cultivation or other purposes in the protected forests.
- Clearance.- No person shall clear or break up any land for cultivation or other purposes in a Protected Forest except under the terms of a Patta granted by the Divisional Forest Officer in the Form III.
Part V
Protection from fire of timber lying in a protected forest and of trees reserved under Section 30 of the said act.
- Fire.- (1) No person shall kindle, keep or carry any fire in a Protected Forest except at such places as may from time to time be notified locally by the Divisional Forest Officer.
(2) No person shall kindle, carry or leave an fire burning on a public path which adjoins or passes through a Protected Forest but does not form part of such forest.
(3) No person shall ignite material for making a fire within 200 yard of the boundary and the spot on which such material is ignited a space of 25 ft. in width shall be kept clear or vegetation capable of carrying fire from such spot to the forest, and such other precautions such as employing watchers shall be taken as are reasonably necessary to prevent fire from spreading to the forest.
(4) Except for the purpose of making ash-manure no fire shall be kindled elsewhere than a place used as a human dwelling within a distance of 200 yards of the boundary of a Protected Forest, without the previous written permission of the Forest Officer not lower in rank than that of a Range Officer.
(5) No person shall kindle any fire or leave any fire burning at any place which is at a distance less than 200 yards from the boundary of a Protected Forest but from which the fire may by natural means spread to the forests unless he takes precautions. by clearing a fire path not less than 25 ft. in width between such place and such boundary by employing watchers or otherwise to prevent fire from spreading to the forest.
(6) This rule shall not operate during the period commencing from 15th July and extending to 30th September.
Part IV
Cutting of grass and pasturing of cattle
- Grass cutting.- (1) No person shall pasture cattle or cut grass in a Protected Forest except in such parts of that forest as are opened from time to time for grazing or grass cutting.
(2) No person shall graze cattle without payment of fees prescribed for any area by the Government from time to time and without a permit issued in Form IV by the Range Office.
(3) This rule shall not apply to rights and concession holders who will be regulated by the rules for the exercise of such rights and concessions.
Part VII
Penalties
- Penalties.- Any contravention of the Rules 2 to 10 and 15 to 19 shall upon conviction by a Magistrate by punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months or fine which may extend to five hundred rupees or both.
Form I
Forest Department, Rajasthan
.......Range....... Division.
Form of Permit for removal of Forest Produce from Protected Forest (Rule 7)
Date............
Permit No..............
(i) Name and address of the Permit Holder..........
(ii) Description of the Forest produce for which permit is granted .........
(iii) The name of the Block and Compartment from which the forest produce will be extracted...........
(iv) Fees paid, if any,..........
(v) Facsimile of the property mark, on timber, if any ...........
(vi) Destination of the Forest produce..........
(vii) Period for which the permit is valid ........
(viii) Route through which export is permitted...........
(ix) Other conditions, if any,............
Camp................ Date.................
Signature of the issuing officer Signature of Check Moharrir
Form II
Forest Department, Rajasthan
Licence for extraction of Forest produce for personal use
Vide Rule 11
Date.........
Licence No........
Name and address of the Licence Holder................
Description, quality and purpose for which permit for the forest produce is given.........
Fees paid, if any .............
Block and Compartment for which the permit is issued.......................
Destination of the produce...........
Route alongwith names of chowkies and nakas through which the produce will be exported...........
Period for which die permit is valid..............
Other conditions, if any ..........
Place........ Date.........
Form III
Forest Department, Rajasthan
Patta for cultivation
(Rule 17)
Date............
Patta No..........
Subject to the condition of the Rajasthan Forest Act, 1953 and the rules framed thereunder, permission is hereby granted to Shri......son of......to clear or break up forest land for cultivation or........in........ Forest Block........ Compartment ........Range......... Division.........
This permit is valid for.......... months from.........to...........
Signature of the Divisional Forest Officer.
Form IV
Forest Department, Rajasthan
Permit of Grazing
(Rule 19) in Triplicate
Block of.......Range.......Division
From.......to........
| Name | Residence | No. & description of animals permitted to graze | Fees paid Rate Amount | Remarks |
Date..........
Signature of the Range Officer
(1) There shall be one heredsman for every 20 herds of cattle or part thereof
(2) The cattle covered by this permit shall invariably be accompanied by and be incharge of the owner or some herdsman or servant of the owner.
(3) The owner or herdsman or servant accompanying and incharge of the cattle shall invariably have with him this permit and shall produce it for inspection on demand by any Forest Officer.
(4) If any grazier causes damage to trees his permit shall be liable to cancellation.
(5) No cattle shall be penned within forest except under a written permission of the Divisional Forest Officer.
(6) No cattle shall be allowed within specially protected areas or grazing areas closed under authority.
(7) Government reserve the right to burn any part or all of the area covered by the permit, whenever it is found necessary to do so, as a protective measure against fires, and no compensation will be granted for any loss sustained by permit holder through such burning.
