State Act: Andhra Pradesh
The Andhra Pradesh Forest Act, 1967
Act Act No.1 of 1967 · 100 sections
Text as published by India Code for the Government of Andhra Pradesh (Environment, Forest, Science and Technology Department), with amendments up to Act 15 of 2016 (the Andhra Pradesh Forest (Amendment) Act, 2016).
Chapter IIIA (sections 28A to 28G, Preservation of Private Forests) applies only in the Scheduled Areas and is not part of this India Code text; it is printed in the 2012 text of the Act hosted by the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority, and the instrument that inserted it has not been identified.
Title, date and preamble
[13th March, 1967]
AN ACT TO CONSOLIDATE AND AMEND THE LAW RELATING TO THE PROTECTION AND MANAGEMENT OF FORESTS IN THE STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Andhra Pradesh in the Eighteenth Year of the Republic of India as follows:-
Contents
CHAPTER I PRELIMINARY
CHAPTER II RESERVED FORESTS
- 3.Power to reserve forests
- 4.Notification by Government
- 5.Suits barred
- 6.Proclamation by Forest Settlement Officer
- 7.Bar of accrual of forest rights and prohibition of clearings
- 8.Inquiry by Forest Settlement Officer
- 9.Powers of Forest Settlement Officer
- 10.Claims to certain rights
- 11.Claims to rights of way, etc
- 12.Compensation for rights
- 13.Appeals from the orders of Forest Settlement Officer
- 14.Appointment of pleader
- 15.Notification declaring Forest reserved
- 16.Extinction of rights not claimed
- 17.No right acquired over reserved forest except as herein provided
- 18.Rights continued under section 11 not to be alienated without sanction
- 19.Power to stop ways and water-courses in reserved forests
- 20.Penalties for trespass or damage in reserved forest and acts prohibited in such forests
- 21.Suspension of rights in reserved forests
- 22.Persons bound to assist forest officer and police officer
- 23.Power to declare reserved forest as no longer reserved
CHAPTER III PROTECTED FORESTS
CHAPTER IV CONTROL OF TIMBER AND OTHER FOREST PRODUCE IN TRANSIT OR POSSESSION
CHAPTER V POSSESSION OF SANDALWOOD [OR RED SANDERS WOOD OR SCHEDULED TREE]
- 32.Possession of sandalwood under licence or mark
- 32A.Possession of Red Sanders Wood
- 32B.Vehicles involved in smuggling Red Sanders Wood/Sandal Wood/ Scheduled tree
- 32C.Presumptions regarding commission of offence
- 32D.Red Sanders Wood with private person
- 32E.Power to Amend Schedule
- 33.Forms and conditions of licence
- 34.Power to cancel or suspend licence
- 35.Appeal
- 36.Penalties
CHAPTER – VI OF THE COLLECTION OF DRIFT AND STRANDED TIMBER
- 37.Certain kinds of timber to be deemed property of Government until title thereto is proved and may be collected accordingly
- 38.Notice to claimants to drift timber
- 39.Procedure on the presentation of claim to such timber
- 40.Disposal of unclaimed timber
- 41.Government and their officers not liable for damage to timber collected under section 37
- 42.Payment to be made by claimant before timber is delivered to him
- 43.Power to make rules and prescribe penalty for contravention thereof
CHAPTER VII PENALTIES AND PROCEDURE
- 44.Seizure of property liable to confiscation and procedure thereupon
- 45.Timber, forest produce tools, etc., when liable to confiscation
- 46.Disposal on conclusion of trial for forest offence of timber or forest produce in respect of which it was committed
- 47.Procedure when offender is not known or cannot be found
- 48.Procedure in regard to perishable property seized under section 44
- 49.Appeal from orders under section 45, section 46 or section 47
- 50.Property when to vest in Government
- 51.Saving of power to release, property seized
- 52.Penalty for counterfeiting marks on trees and timber and for altering boundary marks
- 53.Power to arrest without warrant
- 54.Power to release on bond a person arrested
- 55.Punishment of wrongful seizure or arrest
- 56.Power to prevent commission of offence
- 57.Power to constitute special Courts
- 58.Operation of other laws not barred
- 58-A.Order of confiscation not to bar imposition of other penalty
- 59.Power to compound offences
- 60.Presumption that timber or forest produce belongs to the Central or State Government
- 60A.Prohibition of holding illegally acquired property and forfeiture of such property
- 60B.Identifying illegally acquired property
- 60C.Seizure or freezing of illegally acquired property
- 60D.Management of properties seized or forfeited under this Act
- 60E.Notice of forfeiture of property
- 60F.Forfeiture of property in certain cases burden of proof
- 60G.Fine in lieu of forfeiture
- 60H.Procedure in relation to certain Trust properties
- 60I.Certain transfers to be null and void
- 60J.Constitution of Appellate Tribunal -(
- 60K.Appeals
- 60L.Notice or Order not to be invalid for error in description
- 60M.Bar of Jurisdiction
- 60N.Competent authority and appellate tribunal to have powers of Civil court, Act 5 of 1908
- 60-O.Information to competent authority
- 60P.Certain officers to assist the administrator competent authority and the Appellate Tribunal
- 60-Q.Power to take possession
- 60R.Rectification of mistakes
- 60S.Finding under other laws not conclusive for proceedings under this Act
- 60T.Service of notices or order
- 60U.Punishment for acquiring property in relation to which proceedings have been taken under this Act
CHAPTER VIII CATTLE TRESPASS
CHAPTER IX POWERS OF FOREST OFFICERS
CHAPTER X MISCELLANEOUS
- 66.Revision
- 67.Power of Government to exempt any area from the provisions of the Act
- 68.Power of Government to make rules
- 69.Government may delegate powers
- 70.Recovery of money due to Government
- 71.Land required under this Act to be deemed to be needed for public purpose under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894
- 72.Repeal
Schedules and appendices
Schedules are not yet reproduced here. Read them in the official file; each link opens the page where the Schedule begins.