Company : Sol Infotech Pvt. Ltd. Website : www.courtkutchehry.com FOREST (CONSERVATION) RULES, 1981 CONTENTS 1. Short title, extent and commencement 2. Definitions 2A. Composition of the Committee 2B. Terms of appointment of non-official members 3. Conduct of business of the committee 4. 4 5 . Committee to advise on proposals received by the Central Government 6 . Action of the Central Government on the advice of the Committee FOREST (CONSERVATION) RULES, 1981 In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of Sec. 4 of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 (69 of 1980), the Central Government hereby makes the following rules, namely : 1. Short title, extent and commencement :- (1) These rules may be called the Forest (Conservation) Rules, 1981. (2) They shall extend to the whole of India except the State of Jammu and Kashmir. (3) They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette. 2. Definitions :- In these rules unless the context otherwise requires,- (c) "Chairman" means the Chairman of the Committee; (d) "Member" means a member of the Committee; (e) "Section" means a section of the Act. 2A. Composition of the Committee :- 1 (2) Additional Inspector-General of Forests shall act as the Chairman in the absence of Inspector-General of Forests. 1. Inserted by G.S.R. 14, dated 28/12/1987. 2B. Terms of appointment of non-official members :- Terms of appointment of non-official members shall be as follows : (i) A non-official member shall hold his office for a period of two years. (ii) A non-official member shall cease to hold office if he dies, resigns, becomes of unsound mind, becomes insolvent or is convicted by a court of law on a criminal offence involving moral turpitude. (iii) Any vacancy in the membership caused by any reason mentioned in sub-rule (ii) shall be filled by the Government for the unexpired portion of 2 years', terms. (iv) Travelling and daily allowances shall be payable to the non- official members of the Committee at the highest rate admissible to the Government servants of Groups A under the rules and orders made by the Central Government and for the time being in force : Provided that the payment of travelling allowance and daily allowance to a member who is a member of the Parliament or a member of a State Legislature shall be regulated in accordance with the Salary, Allownance and Pension of Members of Parliament Act, 1954 or the respective provisions of law pertaining to the members of the concerned State Legislature.] 3. Conduct of business of the committee :- (3) The Chairman shall preside over every meeting of the Committee at which he is present: Provided that if the Chairman is absent from a meeting and it is not expedient to adjourn the meeting, the senior-most member of the committee shall preside over the meeting. 4. 4 :- (2) Every proposal referred to in sub-rule (1) shall be sent to the following address, namely: Secretary to the Government of India, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Paryavaran Bhavan, C.G.O. Complex, Lodi Road, New Delhi 110003: Provided that all proposals involving forest land upto twenty hectares and proposals involving clearing of naturally grown trees in forest land or portion thereof for the purpose of using it for reforestation shall be sent to the Chief Conservator of Forests/Conservator of Forests of the concerned Regional Office of the Ministry of Environment and Forests.] 5. Committee to advise on proposals received by the Central Government :- (3) While tendering the advice, the committee may also suggest any conditions or restrictions of the use of any forest land for any non-forest purpose which, in its opinion, would minimise adverse environmental impact. 6. Action of the Central Government on the advice of the Committee :- The Central Government shall, after considering the advice of the committee rendered under rule 5 and after such further enquiry as it may consider necessary, grant approval to the proposal with or without conditions or reject the same.