CHAPTER-II Reserved Forests

Section 22: Persons bound to assist forest officer and police officer

The Telangana Forest Act, 1967

How current this text is

Text as published by India Code for the Government of Telangana (Environment, Forests, Science and Technology Department): the Andhra Pradesh Forest Act, 1967 as in force in the combined State on 2 June 2014, adapted to Telangana under section 101 of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 by G.O.Ms.No.22, E.F.S&T (For.I) Department, dated 13.05.2015, with amendments up to Act No.35 of 1997.

Amendments made by Andhra Pradesh after 2 June 2014, such as the Andhra Pradesh Forest (Amendment) Act, 2016, do not apply in Telangana and are not in this text.

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 Andhra Pradesh Forest Act hosted by the Telangana Forest Department, and the Telangana Preservation of Private Forest Rules, 1978, made under section 28-G for the scheduled areas, were adopted in Telangana by G.O.Ms.No.22 of 13.05.2015; the instrument that inserted the chapter has not been identified.

(1) Every person who exercises any right in a reserved forest, or who is permitted to take any forest produce from or to cut and remove timber or to pasture cattle in, such forest; and

every person who is employed by any such person in such forest; and

every village officer or person in any village contiguous to such forest who is employed by the Government; shall be bound to furnish without delay to the nearest forest officer or police officer in-charge of the nearest police station any information he may possess respecting the occurrences of a fire in, or near, such forest, or the commission for or intention to commit any forest offence; and shall forthwith take steps, whether so required by the forest officer or police officer or not–

(a) to extinguish any such fire of which he has knowledge or information;

(b) to prevent any such fire from spreading and shall assist any forest officer or police officer demanding his aid –

(i) in preventing the commission in such forest of any forest offence; and

(ii) when there is reason to believe that any such offence has been committed in such forest, in discovering and arresting the offender.

(2) Whoever, without lawful excuse, fails to comply with the provisions of sub-section (1) shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one month or with fine which may extend to two hundred rupees or with both.