Section 5 in The U.P. Village Forests Joint Management Rules, 1997
5. Powers of the Village Committee.
- A Village Committee shall be deemed to be a Forest Officer for the purposes of these rules and shall exercise the following power with respect to the Village Forest assigned to it,-(i)to institute and defend suits and proceedings in respect of claims arising under these rules;(ii)to make local sale of forest-produce without detriment to the forest and to issue permits and charge fees for grazing or cutting or collection of fallen fuel if considered necessary :Provided such an exploitation has the prior approval of the Divisional Forest Officer and made for the bona fide domestic use of right holders :Provided further that the permission of the Divisional Forest Officer would not be necessary for allowing grazing or cutting of grass or collection of fallen fuel;(iii)to extract and sell resin in accordance with the provisions of the Uttar Pradesh Resin and Other Forest Produce (Regulation of Trade) Act, 1976;(iv)to regulate grazing and admission of cattle into the Village Forest;(v)to impound cattle entering into the Village Forest and to detain them upto forty eight hours if such cattle are not covered under permits issued by the Village Committee;(vi)to exclude a person, who, in the opinion of a Village Committee, is responsible to cause any damage by fire or otherwise to the Village Forest, from all or any privileges in the Village Forest;(vii)to seize all tools or weapons used in committing forest offences within the Village Forest.
