Kerala Private Forests (Assumption of Management) Act, 1957

No: 13 Dated: Jan, 28 1958

THE KERALA PRIVATE FORESTS (AS::iUMI'TION OF MANAGEMENT) ACT, 1957

(Act 13 of 1958)

    An Act to provide for the taking over of the management of private forests for a limited period.

    Preambte.-WHEREAS it is expedient to provide for the taking over by the Government for a limited period of the management of private forests m the State of Kerala in the pubhc interest or m order to secure proper management of such forest;

BE it enacted in The Eighth Year of the Republic of India as follows·-

1. Short title and commenccment-(l) This Act may be called the Kerala Privatc Forests (Assumption of Management) Act, 1957.

(2) It shall come mto force at once.

2. Applitcation-This Act shall apply to private forests in the Malabar. district referred to m sub-section (2) of section 5 of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956 (Central Act 37 of 1956) having a contiguous area exceeding 100 acres.

Explantion -A private forest exceeding 100 acres in extent shall not cease to be such by reason only of the fact that, m a. portion there of, trees or shrubs are felled with or without tbe permission of the District Collector or lands are cultivated, or rocks, roads, tanks, rivers or the hke exist, nor eha.ll the area of such forest cease to be contiguous by reason only of the existence of all or any of the aforesa1d circumstances.

3. Definitions.-In this Act, unless the context othe:-wise requires,

(1) "Fotest" mcludes waste or arable land containmg trees and shrubs, pasture land and any other class of land declared by the Government to be a forest by notification in the Gazette,

(2) "owner" in relation to a forest mcludes a mortgagee lessee or other person havmg right to possession and enjoyment of the forest,

(3) 'person" indudes a Hindu undivided family, a. Marumakkatbayam tarwad or thavazbi or ar. Ahyasannthan family or branch;

( 4) "prescnbed'' means prescribed by rules made under this Act