(1) When any such money is payable for or in respect of any forest-produce, the amount thereof shall be deemed to be a first charge on such produce, and such produce may be taken possession of by a Forest-officer until such amount has been paid.
(2) If such amount is not paid when due, the Forest-officer may sell such produce by public auction, and the proceeds of the sale shall be applied first in discharging such amount.
(3) The surplus, if any, if not claimed within two months from the date of the sale by the person entitled thereto, shall be forfeited to [Government].
STATE AMENDMENT
Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh (UTs).--
Section 83A. -- After section 83, insert the following section, namely:--
83A. Restriction on alienation.(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Transfer of Property Act 1882, or in any other law for the time being in force, no property offered by a forest lessee or by any other person on behalf of a forest lessee, as security for payment of royalty, interest, compensation, penalty or any other amount chargeable from the forest lessee, under any lease deed, bond or instrument shall be alienated without the previous permission of the Government of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, till such time as the Chief Conservator of Forests certifies that such forest lessee has duly performed all the obligations devolving upon him under such lease deed, bond or instrument.
(2) Any alienation of property made in contravention of sub-section (1) shall be void, and no transferee of such property shall be deemed to have acquired any right, title or interest therein.
(3) Any amount of royalty, interest, compensation or penalty or any other sum falling due from a forest lessee under any lease deed, bond or instrument shall be recoverable as arrears of land revenue in accordance with the law for the time being in force, from the property offered by him or on his behalf as security and from any other movable or immovable property owned by the forest lessee.
Explanation.-- For the purposes of this section,
(a) "alienation" includes sale, gift, exchange, bequest, mortgage, benami transaction, family settlement or any other mode of transfer of any right, title or interest therein or creation of any encumbrance threreon;
(b) the expression "forest lessee" shall be construed to mean a person in whose favour a right to convert and remove forest produce from any forest has been granted under any lease deed, bond or instrument.
(4) For removal of doubts it is hereby declared that restriction imposed under this section on the rights conferred by clause (1) of article 19 of the Constitution of India shall be deemed to be reasonable restrictions.
[Vide the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization (Adaptation of Central Laws) Order, 2020, notification No. S.O. 1123(E) dated (18-3-2020) and Vide Union Territory of Ladakh Reorganisation (Adaptation of Central Laws) Order, 2020, notification No. S.O. 3774(E), dated (23-10-2020).]