20A. [ Forest land or waste land deemed to be reserved forests. [Inserted by Section 3 of M.P. Act No. 9 of 1965.]
(1)Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act or any other law for the time being in force, any forest-land or waste land in the territories comprised within an Indian State immediately before the date of its merger in any of the integrating States now forming part of this State (hereinafter in this section referred to as the "merged territories"),-(i)which had been recognised by the Ruler of any such State immediately before the date of merger as a reserved forest in pursuance of any law, custom, rule, regulation, order or notification for the time being in force; or(ii)which had been dealt with as such in any administration report or in accordance with any working plan, or register maintained or acted upon immediately before the said date and has been continued to so dealt with thereafter;shall be deemed to be reserved forests for the purposes of this Act.(2)In the absence of any rule, order or notification under this Act, applicable to the area in question, any law, custom, rule, regulation, order or notification mentioned in sub-section (1) shall, anything in any law to the contrary notwithstanding, be deemed to be validly in force, as if the same had the force and effect of rules, orders and notifications, made under the provisions of this Act and shall continue to so remain in force until superseded, altered or modified in accordance therewith.(3)No report, working plan or register as aforesaid or any entry therein shall be questioned in any Court of law; provided that the State Government have duly certified that such report, working plan, or register had been prepared under the authority of the said Ruler before the date of the merger and has been under the authority of the State Government continued to be recognised, maintained or acted upon thereafter.(4)Forest recognised in the merged territories as village forests or protected forests, or forests other than reserved forests, by whatever name designated or locally known, shall be deemed to be protected forests within the meaning of this Act and provisions of sub-sections (2) and (3) shall mutatis mutandis apply.Explanation I. - "Working plan" includes any plan, scheme, project, maps, drawings and layouts prepared for the purpose of carrying out the operations in course of the working and management of forests.Explanation II. - "Ruler" includes the Darbar administration prior to the date of the merger and "State Government" includes the successor Governments after the said date.Explanation III. - The expression "Indian State" shall have the meaning assigned to that expression in clause (15) of Article 366 of the Constitution of India.Explanation IV. - "Integrating States" means the States of Madhya Pradesh, Madhya Bharat, Rajasthan, Vindhya Pradesh and Bhopal as existing before the 1st day of November, 1956.]
