Keyword(s):
Cattle, Forest Offence, Forest Produce, River, State, Timber, Tree
THE KERALA FOREST ACT, 1961[1]
(Act 4 of 1962)
An Act to unify and amend the law relating to the protection and management of forests
in the State of Kerala
WHEREAS it is expedient to unify and amend the law relating to the protection and
management of forests in the State of Kerala;
BE it enacted in the Twelfth Year of the Republic of India as follows:-
CHAPTER I
Preliminary
- (1) This Act may be called the Kerala Forest Act, 1961.
(2) It extends to the whole of the State of Kerala:
Provided that the Government may, by notification in the Gazette, exempt any place
from the operation of the whole or any portion of the Act, but not so as to effect anything
done, or any offence committed, or any fine imposed or penalty incurred, or any
proceedings commenced in such place before such exemption, and may in like manner
vary or cancel such notification.(3) It shall come into force at once. - In this Act, and in all rules made thereunder, unless the context otherwise
requires,-
(a) “cattle” means cows, oxen and bulls and includes elephants, camels,
buffaloes, horses, mares, geldings, ponies, colts, fillies, mules, asses, pigs,
rams, ewes, sheep, lambs, goats, kinds and fowls and such other kinds of
animals as the Government may, by notification in the Gazette, specify;
(b) “Collector” means the Chief Revenue Officer of a District and includes an
acting or officiating Collector, and also any officer appointed by the
Government to exercise the functions of the Collector;
(c) “Forest Officer” means any person appointed by name or as holding an
office by or under the orders of the Government to be a Chief Conservator, a
Conservator, Deputy Conservator, Assistant Conservator, Divisional Forest
Officer, Ranger, Deputy Ranger, Forester, a Timber Depot Officer, Forest
Guard, Forest Plantation Maistry, Watcher, Game Warden, Assistant Game
Warden, Game Ranger, Game Forester, Game Guard or to discharge any
function of a Forest Officer under this Act or any rule made thereunder;
(d) “Divisional Forest Officer” means the Chief Forest Officer of a Forest
Division or a portion or portions of one or more Divisions, if in
independent charge of such portion or portions, when they are constituted
into a Forest Division;
(e) “forest offence” means an offence punishable under this Act or any rule
made thereunder; [2][(f) “forest produce” includes-
(i) the following whether found in or brought from a forest or not that is
to say.-
timber, charcoal, wood-oil, gum, resin, natural varnish bark lac, fibres
and roots of sandal wood and rosewood; and
(ii) the following when found in, or brought from, a forest, that is to say,-
(a) trees and leaves, flowers and fruits, and all other parts or produce
not hereinbefore mentioned, of trees;
(b) plants not being trees (including grass, creepers, reeds and moss)
and all parts or produce of such plants; and
(c) silk cocoons, honey and wax;
(d) peat, surface soil, rock and minerals (including limestone, laterite,
minerals oils and all products of mines or quarries);]
(g) “Land at the disposal of Government” includes all unoccupied land, all
temporarily occupied land and all land occupied without permission, whether
assessed or unassessed; but does not include land, the property of land holders
such as Jenmies, Devaswoms, or holders of Inam lands; also all holdings of land
in any way subject to the payment of land revenue direct to Government and all
other registered holdings of land in proprietary right;
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