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In force

The Indian Forest Act, 1927

85 sections · As amended up to 2026-08

Sections

  1. I — PRELIMINARY
  2. 1Short title and extent
  3. 2Interpretation clause
  4. II — OF RESERVED FORESTS
  5. 3Power to reserve forests
  6. 4Notification by
  7. 5Bar of accrual of forest-rights
  8. 6Proclamation by Forest Settlement-officer
  9. 7Inquiry by Forest Settlement-officer
  10. 8Powers of Forest Settlement-officer
  11. 9Extinction of rights
  12. 10Treatment of claims relating to practice of shifting cultivation
  13. 11Power to acquire land over which right is claimed
  14. 12Order on claims to rights of pasture or to forest produce
  15. 13Record to be made by Forest Settlement-officer
  16. 14Record where he admits claim
  17. 15Exercise of rights admitted
  18. 16Commutation of rights
  19. 17Appeal from order passed under section 11, section 12, section 15 or section 16
  20. 18Appeal under section 17
  21. 19Pleaders
  22. 20Notification declaring forest reserved
  23. 21Publication of translation of such notification in neighbourhood of forest
  24. 22Power to revise arrangement made under section 15 or section 18
  25. 23No right acquired over reserved forest, except as here provided
  26. 24Rights not to be alienated without sanction
  27. 25Power to stop ways and watercourses in reserved forests
  28. 26Acts prohibited in such forests
  29. 27Power to declare forest no longer reserved
  30. III — OF VILLAGE-FORESTS
  31. 28Formation of village-forests
  32. IV — OF PROTECTED FORESTS
  33. 29Protected forests
  34. 30Power to issue notification reserving trees, etc
  35. 31Publication of translation of such notification in neighbourhood
  36. 32Power to make rules for protected forests
  37. 33Penalties for acts in contravention of notification under section 30 or of rules under section 32
  38. 34Nothing in this Chapter to prohibit acts done in certain cases
  39. V — OF THE CONTROL OVER FORESTS AND LANDS NOT BEING
  40. 35Protection of forests for special purposes
  41. 36Power to assume management of forests
  42. 37Expropriation of forests in certain cases
  43. 38Protection of forests at request of owners
  44. VI — OF THE DUTY ON TIMBER AND OTHER FOREST-PRODUCE
  45. 39Power to impose duty on timber and other forest-produce
  46. 40Limit not to apply to purchase money or royalty
  47. VII — OF THE CONTROL OF TIMBER AND OTHER FOREST-PRODUCE IN TRANSIT
  48. 41Power to make rules to regulate transit of forest produce
  49. 42Penalty for breach of rules made under section 41
  50. 43Government and Forest-officers not liable for damage to forest-produce at depot
  51. 44All persons bound to aid in case of accident at depot
  52. VIII — OF THE COLLECTION OF DRIFT AND STRANDED TIMBER
  53. 45Certain kinds of timber to be deemed property of Government until title thereto proved, and may be collected accordingly
  54. 46Notice to claimants of drift timber
  55. 47Procedure on claim preferred to such timber
  56. 48Disposal of unclaimed timber
  57. 49Government and its officers not liable for damage to such timber
  58. 50Payments to be made by claimant before timber is delivered to him
  59. 51Power to make rules and prescribe penalties
  60. IX — PENALTIES AND PROCEDURE
  61. 52Seizure of property liable to confiscation
  62. 53Power to release property seized under section 52
  63. 54Procedure thereupon
  64. 55Forest-produce, tools, etc., when liable to confiscation
  65. 56Disposal on conclusion of trial for forest-offence, of produce in respect of which it was committed
  66. 57Procedure when offender not known or cannot be found
  67. 58Procedure as to perishable property seized under section 52
  68. 59Appeal from orders under section 55, section 56 or section 57
  69. 60Property when to vest in[1] [Government]
  70. 61Saving of power to release property seized
  71. 62Punishment for wrongful seizure
  72. 63Penalty for counterfeiting or defacing marks on trees and timber and for altering boundary-marks,
  73. 64Power to arrest without warrant
  74. 65Power to release on a bond a person arrested
  75. 66Power to prevent commission of offence
  76. 67Power to try offences summarily
  77. 68Power to compound offences
  78. 69Presumption that forest-produce belongs to[3] [Government]
  79. X — ==> picture [86 x 13] intentionally omitted <==
  80. 70Cattle-trespass Act, 1871, to apply
  81. 71Power to alter fines fixed under that Act
  82. XI — OF FOREST-OFFICERS
  83. 72State Government may invest Forest-officers with certain powers
  84. 73Forest-officers deemed public servants
  85. 74Indemnity for acts done in good faith
  86. 75Forest-officers not to trade
  87. XII — SUBSIDIARY RULES
  88. 76Additional powers to make rules
  89. 77Penalties for breach of rules
  90. 78Rules when to have force of law
  91. XIII — MISCELLANEOUS
  92. 79Persons bound to assist Forest-officers and Police-officers
  93. 80Management of forests the joint property of[3] [Government] and other persons
  94. 81Failure to perform service for which a share in produce of[3] [Government] forest is employed
  95. 82Recovery of money due to Government
  96. 83Lien on forest-produce for such money
  97. 84Land required under this Act to be deemed to be needed for a public purpose under the Land Acquisiti
  98. 85Recovery of penalties due under bond