(1)(a)No owner of any forest shall, without the previous sanction of the District Collector sell, mortgage, lease or otherwise alienate the whole or any portion of the forest or the forest produce.[Provided that any Power of Attorney or Authority Letter or Bond or similar deed executed or a contract, licence or any other transaction entered into before or after the 1st day of January, 1970 by a land owner in favour of or with a person to act on his behalf or to do any job under this Chapter or rules made thereunder shall be null and void.] [Proviso added by G.O.Ms.No. 210 dated 20-7-1988]Explanation. - Nothing in this sub section shall be construed as preventing the owner from selling or otherwise dealing with the right to gather and remove forest produce, other than trees timber, in the usual or customary manner.(b)Any alienation, made in contravention of clause (a) shall be null and void.(2)No owner of any forest and no person claiming under him, whether by virtue of a contract, licence or any other transaction entered into either before or after the 1st day of January 1970, or any other person shall without the previous permission of the District Collector, cut trees or do any act likely to denude the forest or diminish its utility as a forest.Provided that nothing in this sub section shall apply to the removal of dead or fallen trees or to any act done for the usual or customary domestic purposes or for making agricultural implements.[Provided further that no such permission shall be granted in a year to cut tress of the value exceeding Rs.5,000/- unless the District Collector is satisfied that the value of the trees proposed to be cut exceeding the said limit is necessary to meet urgent expenses of such owner.] [Proviso added by G.O.Ms.No. 210 dated 20-7-1988](3)Notwithstanding anything in sub section (1) or subsection (2) the Government army exempt any forest or class of forests or class of trees grown therein from all or any of the provision of this section.
