1 [(1) Any person who, in a reserved forest-
(a) trespasses, or pastures cattle, or permits cattle to trespass;
(b) causes any damage by negligence in felling, uprooting, converting any tree or cutting or dragging any timber; or
(c) fells, uproots, girdles, lops, taps, or burns any tree, or part thereof, or strips off the bark or leaves from, or otherwise damages, the same;
shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months or with fine which may extend to five hundred rupees or with both, in addition to such compensation for damage done to the forest as the convicting court may direct to be paid.
(1-A) Any person who-
(a) makes and fresh clearing prohibited by section 5; or
(b) sets fire to a reserved forest, or in contravention of any rules made by the State Government in this behalf, kindles any fire or leaves any fire burning in such manner, as to endanger such a forest, or who, in a reserved forest, -
(c) kindles, keeps or carries any fire except at such seasons, as the Forest Officer may notify in this behalf;
(d) quarries stone, burns lime or charcoal, or collects, subjects to any manufacturing process, or removes any forest produce;
(e) clears or breaks up any land for cultivation or any other purpose;
(f) in contravention of any rules made in this behalf by the State Government hunts, shoots, fishes, poisons water or sets traps or snares; or
(g) indulges in any act detrimental to the very existence of the forest.
shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months or with fine which may extend to twenty-five thousand rupees or with both, in addition to such compensation for damage done to the forest as the convicting court may direct to be paid.]
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1. Substituted by Notification No. F 2 (11) Vidhi / 2 / 2014 [ Act No. 8 of 2014] ( w.e.f. 04.03.2014) 11
(2) Nothing in this section shall be deemed to prohibit: -
(a) any act done by permission in writing of the Forest Officer, or under any rule made by the 2 [State Government]; or
(b) the exercise of any right continued under clause (c) of sub-Section (2) of Section 15 or created by grant or contract in writing made by or on behalf of the 2 [State Government] under Section 23.
(3) Whenever fire is caused willfully or by gross in a reserved forest, the 2 [State Government] may (Notwithstanding that any penalty has been inflicted under this section) direct in such forest or any portion thereof the exercise of all rights of pasture or to forest produce shall be suspended for such period as it thinks fit, but no such order shall be passed without affording the persons concerned an opportunity to represent their case.
1 [26-A Power to make rules. -
(1) The 2 [State Government] may make rules to regulate the following matters in respect of reserved forests, namely: -
(a) the making of fresh clearings for cultivation or for any other purpose;
(b) the continuance of the practice of shifting cultivation;
(c) the grazing of cattle or the carrying of forest produce by persons who so claim to the right of pasture or right to forest produce or right of way or water course is admitted under Section 12.
(d) the kindling, keeping or carrying of fire;
(e) the felling, uprooting, tapping, girdling sawing conversion and removal of trees and timber and, the collection, manufacture and removal of forest produce, from such forests;
(f) the examination of forest produce passing out of such forests;
(g) the protection from fire of timber, charcoal or other produce lying in such forests and of trees; (h) the cutting of grass and pasturing of cattle in such forests;
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1. Inserted by section 4 of Rajasthan Act No. 22 of 1956, published in Rajasthan Gazette, Part IV A, Extraordinary dated
16.07.1956.
2. Substituted by section 4 of Rajasthan Act No. 27 of 1957, published in Rajasthan Gazette, Part IV A, Extraordinary, dated
13.08.57.
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(i) hunting, shooting, fishing, poisoning water and setting trap or snares in such forests;
(j) generally for carrying out the purposes of the Act.
(2) The 1 [State Government] may prescribe as penalties for the contravention of any rules made under this Section, imprisonment for a norm which may extend, to six months, or fine which may extend to five hundred rupees or both.]