Section 7(2) in The Forest (Conservation) Rules, 2003
(2)[ (a) The Regional Office shall after examination of the proposal involving forest land up to five hectares other than the proposal related to mining, encroachments, and hydel projects, which are complete in all respect, and after such further enquiry as it may consider necessary, grant in-principle approval subject to fulfillment of stipulated conditions, or reject the same within twenty five days of its receipt from the State Government or the Union Territory Administration, as the case may be, and communicate the same to the concerned State Government or the Union Territory Administration, as the case may be, within next five days.(b)[ In case a proposal involves forest land more than one hundred hectares or renewal of lease, Regional Office shall within forty-five days of the receipt of the proposal complete in all respects from the State Government or the Union territory Administration, as the case may be, inspect the forest land proposed to be diverted and prepare a site inspection report:Provided that in case of the proposals seeking approval under the Act for prospecting of minerals in forest land, prior site inspection by the Regional Office shall be required only if the area of forest land required for construction of roads, paths, drilling of bore holes and all such non-forest purpose is more than one hundred hectares.] [Substituted by Notification No. G.S.R. 713(E), dated 10.10.2014 (w.e.f. 10.1.2003).](c)Regional Office shall refer all proposals involving forest land above five hectares and up to forty hectares; proposals related to mining, encroachments, and hydel projects involving forest land up to five hectares; and all proposals related to linear projects which are complete in all respects, including site inspection report, wherever required, to the Regional Empowered Committee within ten days of the receipt of the proposal from the State Government or the Union Territory Administration, as the case may be:Provided that proposals referred to in clause (b) above, shall be referred to the Regional Empowered Committee within five days of the receipt of the site inspection report.(d)The Regional Empowered Committee shall within a period of thirty days examine the proposals referred to it under clause (c) above and after such further enquiry as it may consider necessary, grant in-principle approval to the proposals other than proposals related to mining, encroachment and hydel projects subject to fulfilment of stipulated conditions, or reject the same and the Regional Office shall communicate the decision of the Regional Empowered Committee to the concerned State Government or the Union Territory Administration, as the case may be, within next five working days.(e)The Regional Empowered Committee shall within a period of thirty days examine the proposals related to mining, encroachments, and hydel project involving diversion of forest land up to forty hectares and tender its advice:Provided that the Regional Empowered Committee may suggest such conditions or restrictions if any, required to be imposed on the use of any forest land for non-forest purpose, which in its opinion would minimise adverse environmental impact.(f)The Regional Office shall within a period of five days of the receipt of the advice of the Regional Empowered Committee on proposals referred to in clause (e) above, forward such proposal along with advice of the Regional Empowered Committee to the Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change for obtaining the decision of the Central Government:Provided that time taken in transit of a proposal from Regional Office to the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change shall not be more than five days.(g)The Central Government shall, after considering the advice of the Regional Empowered Committee and after further enquiry as it may consider necessary, grant in-principle approval subject to fulfillment of stipulated conditions, or reject the same within thirty days of its receipt from the Regional Office and communicate the same to the concerned State Government or the Union Territory Administration, as the case may be, within next five working days.]
