FOREST (CONSERVATION)
ACT, 1997
(Act No. XXX of 1997)
THE JAMMU AND KASHMIR FOREST (CONSERVATION)
ACT, 1997
(Act No. XXX of 1997)
CONTENTS
Preamble.
Section.
1. Short title, extent and
commencement.
2. Restriction on de-notifying of
demarcated forests or de-
reservation or use of forest
land for non-forest purpose.
3. Constitution of Advisory
Committee.
Section.
4. Penalty for contravention of
the provisions of the Act.
5. Offences by authorities and
Government Department.
5-A. Cognizance of the offences.
6. Power to make rules.
7. Repeal and saving.
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Amendments made by Act No: ––
1. IX of 1999.
2. XIV of 2001.
3. XXXII of 2002.
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FOREST CONSERVATION ACT, 1997 195
THE JAMMU AND KASHMIR FOREST (CONSERVATION)
ACT, 1997
(Act No. XXX of 1997)
[Received the assent of the Governor on 29th September, 1997
and published in the Government Gazette dated 1st October, 1997.]
An Act to provide for the conservation of forests and for matters
connected therewith or ancillary or incidental thereto.
Be it enacted by the Jammu and Kashmir State Legislature in the
Forty-eighth Year of the Republic of India as follows: ––
1. Short title, extent and commencement. ––(1) This Act may be
called the Jammu and Kashmir Forest (Conservation) Act, 1997.
(2) It extends to the whole of the State of Jammu and Kashmir.
(3) It shall come into force at once.
2. Restriction on de-notifying of demarcated forest or de-
reservation or use of Forest land for non-forest purpose. ––1[(1)]
Notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being
in force, ––
(a) the Government shall not, except on a resolution of the 2[the
Council of Ministers based on the advice of the Advisory
Committee constituted under section 3 of the Act],––
(i) make or issue any order or notification directing that
any demarcated forest or any portion thereof shall cease
to be a demarcated forest ;
(ii) make any order directing that any forest land or any
portion thereof may be used for any non-forest
purpose ;
1. Existing section renumbered as sub-section (1) by Act XXXII of 2002, s. 2.
2. Substituted for the words “Council of Minister” by Act XIV of 2001, s. 2.
196 FOREST CONSERVATION ACT, 1997
(b) no officer of the Government or other authority shall have
power to make or issue any order or notification in respect
of any matter specified in clause (a) :
1[Provided that the Administrative Department (Forest) shall be
the competent authority to accord permission after obtaining approval
of the Minister Incharge on the recommendations of the Advisory
Committee constituted under section 3 of this Act, for the construction
of Border/R&B/Irrigation roads when passing through the demarcated
or undemarcated forest lands] :
2[Provided further that the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests
may, on the recommendations of a Committee comprising the concerned
Chief Conservator of Forests, Conservator of Forests, District
Development Commissioner and the Divisional Forest Officer, accord
permission for construction of,––
(i) rural roads not exceeding 5 hectares of forest land ; and
(ii) Border/R&B roads and irrigation works not extending 2.5
hectares of forest land, when passing through the demarcated
or undemarcated forest land subject to the condition that :—
(a) permission shall be accorded only once in a case and
no further extension shall be granted ;
(b) permission shall be accorded only when the Principal
Chief Conservator of Forests satisfies himself that the
road is needed for the upliftment of the rural people
and does not have any adverse impact on eco-system of
the area ; and
(c) all other conditions as laid down in this Act are complied
with :
Provided also that the Chief Conservator of Forests may, on the
recommendation of a Committee comprising the concerned Conservator
of Forests, District Development Commissioner and Divisional Forest
1. Provisos to clause (b) inserted by Act IX of 1999, s. 2.
2. Second proviso substituted by Act XIV of 2001, s. 2.
FOREST CONSERVATION ACT, 1997 197
Officer, accord permission for construction of rural roads not exceeding
2.5 hectares of forest land when passing through the demarcated or
undemarcated forest land subject to the conditions that :—
(i) permission shall be accorded only once in a case and no
further extension shall be granted ;
(ii) no permission shall be accorded unless the Chief Conservator
of Forests satisfies himself that the road is needed for the
upliftment of the rural people and does not have any adverse
impact on eco-system of the area ; and
(iii) that all other conditions as laid down in this Act are complied
with.]
Explanation I.––For the purpose of this section, “non-forest
purpose” means the breaking up or clearing of any forest land or portion
thereof for––
(a) the cultivation of oil bearing plants, horticultural crops or
medicinal plants ;
(b) any other purpose other than re-afforestation but does not
include any work relating or ancillary to conservation,
development and management of forest and wildlife, namely,
the establishment of check posts, fire lines, wireless
communications and construction of fencing, bridges and
culverts, dams, waterholds, trench marks, boundary marks,
pipe lines or other like purposes.
1[Explanation II.––For the purposes of this section,––
(a) “demarcated forest” and “undemarcated forest” shall have
the same meaning as assigned to these in the Jammu and
Kashmir Forest Act, Samvat 1987 (1930 A.D.) ;
(b) “rural roads” means the roads including paths to be
constructed by the District Rural Development Agency under
1. Explanation II substituted by Act IX of 1999, s. 2.
198 FOREST CONSERVATION ACT, 1997
the technical and administrative control of the concerned
District Development Commissioner ; and
(c) “border roads” means any kind of roads to be constructed
mainly for the defence purpose by the Army or Border Roads
Orgnisation or any of its agencies.]
1[(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1) the
District Planning and Development Board concerned may accord
permission for construction of rural roads, execution of electric,
irr igation and public health engineer ing works or such other
developmental works when passing through demarcated or un-
demarcated forests subject to the condition that the land required for
the purpose does not exceed two hectare of forest land and the
permission shall be accorded only once for an individual case without
any further extension.
(3) Notwithstanding anything contained in any law for the time
being in force, the Forest Department shall not be entitled to any
compensation for any forest land for which permission has been
accorded under sub-section (1) or sub-section (2) subject to the condition
that area of such land does not exceed one hectare.]
3. Constitution of Advisory Committee.–– The Government may
constitute a Committee consisting of such number of persons as it may
deem fit to advise the Government with regard to––
(i) any matter referred to in section 2 ;
(ii) any other matter connected with the conservation of forests
which may be referred to it by the Government.
4. Penalty for contravention of the provisions of the Act.––
Whoever contravenes or abets the contravention of any of the provisions
of section 2 shall be punishable with simple imprisonment for a period
which may extend to fifteen days.
1. Sub-sections (2) and (3) of section 2 inserted by Act XXXII of 2002, s. 2.
FOREST CONSERVATION ACT, 1997 199
5. Offences by authorities and Government Department. ––(1)
Where any offence under this Act has been committed––
(a) by any depar tment of Government, the Head of the
Department ; or
(b) by any authority, every person who, at the time the offence
was committed, was directly incharge of and was responsible
to the authority for the conduct of the business of the authority
as well as the authority, shall be deemed to be guilty of the
offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and
punished accordingly :
Provided that nothing contained in this sub-section shall render
the Head of the Department ; or any person referred to in clause (b)
liable to any punishment if he proves that the offence was committed
without his knowledge or that he exercised all due diligence to prevent
the commission of such offence.
(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), where
an offence punishable under this Act has been committed by a
Department of Government or any authority referred to in clause (b)
of sub-section (1) and it is proved that the offence has been committed
with the consent or connivance of, or is attributable to any neglect on
the part of any officer, other than the Head of the Department or in
the case of any authority, any person other than the persons referred
to in clause (b) of sub-section (1), such officer or persons shall also
be deemed to be guilty of that offence and shall be liable to be
proceeded against and punished accordingly.
1[5-A. Cognizance of the offences.–– The cognizance of the
offences under this Act shall be taken by the Forest Officer in the
same manner as is done under the provisions of the Jammu and
Kashmir Forest Act, Samvat 1987 (1930 A. D.) and the procedure
laid down therein shall mutatis mutandis apply to cognizance of such
offences.
1. Section 5-A inserted by Act IX of 1999, s. 3.
200 FOREST CONSERVATION ACT, 1997
Explanation:––For purposes of this section, “Forest Officer” shall
have the same meaning as assigned to it under clause (f) of section 2 of
the Jammu and Kashmir Forest Act, Samvat 1987 (1930 A. D.)]
6. Power to make rules.–– The Government may, by notification
in the Government Gazette, make rules for carrying out the purpose
of this Act.
7. Repeal and saving. ––(1) The Jammu and Kashmir Forest
(Conservation) Act, 1992 (President’s Act No. 5 of 1992) is hereby repealed.
(2) Notwithstanding such repeal, anything done, any action taken
or any order issued or any rule made under the said Act shall be deemed
to have been done, taken, issued or made under this Act.
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