Section 2 in Rules for the Todapatta Lands of the Nilgiris
2.
It is further notified that the Government of Tamil Nadu have made the following rules under section 26 of the said Act and that these rules shall apply to all Todapatta lands in the Nilgiris district:(1)No person shall fell, girdle, mark, lop, uproot or bum or strip off the bark or leaves from or otherwise damage any tree growing on the said lands or remove the timber or collect the natural produce of such trees or lands or quarry or collect stone, lime, gravel, earth or manure upon such lands or break up such lands for cultivation or erect buildings of any description or cattle kraals, and no person or persons other than the Todas including Toda Converts named in the patta concerned, shall graze, cattle, sheep or goats upon such lands unless he is authorised so to do by the Collector or some person duly empowered in that behalf by the Collector.(2)The Collector may select any of the said lands to be placed under special fire-protection. After the limits of these areas have been clearly indicated and duly notified in the District Gazette, no person within such areas shall wilfully or negligently set fire to or instigate, aid or abet the setting fire to the trees, timber, grass, fern or any forest produce, or shall kindle or keep burning any fire except at such places and subject to such precautions as may be prescribed by the Collector by notification in the District Gazette.(3)All Todas including Toda Converts in the Nilgiris district shall, in respect of their own patta lands, be exempt from the operation of the above rules and shall be at liberty to graze their own cattle, to remove fuel and grass for their domestic requirements and to collect any honey or wax upon such lands. They shall likewise be entitled to, and shall receive free permits for, the removal of all timber, bamboos, rattans, fibre and thatching grass that they may require for building or repairing their munds and temples.(4)The Collector shall have power to issue per mills for periods not exceeding ten years at a time for the cultivation of grass lands only in Toda pattas by Todas themselves or Toda Converts, free of charge or otherwise as the Government may, from time to time, direct, but no permit holder shall allow any person not being a Toda or Toda Convert to cultivate or assist in the cultivation of such lands.(5)Any breach or infringement of rules 1 and 2 will render the offender liable, or conviction by a Magistrate, to imprisonment of either description as defined in the Indian Penal Code for a term which may extend to one month, or fine which may extend to Rs. 200 or both.
