(1)(a)The Government may, by notification and subject to such terms and conditions as may be specified therein, invest any forest officer not below the rank of a Ranger with all or any of the following powers, namely:-(i)to enter upon any land and to survey, demarcate and make a map of the same:Provided that no such demarcation shall take away or abridge the right of any person in or over the land;(ii)to hold inquiries into forest offences, and in the course of such inquiries to receive and record evidence;(iii)to accept compensation for forest offences under section 59;(b)The Government may by notification invest any forest officer not below the rank of [a Forest Range Officer] [Substituted by Act No.35 of 1997.] with all or any of the following powers, namely:-(i)power of a civil court to compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of documents and material objects;(ii)to search or to issue a search warrant which may be executed in the manner provided in the [Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898] [See now the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (Central Act 2 of 1974)].
