(1)A Bhumiswami, who wants to undertake management of a tree-clad area shall submit an application to the Forest Ranger or to any Forest Officer authorised by the DFO.(2)If a Gram Panchayat or a Gram Sabha wants to undertake the management of any tree-clad revenue land located within its jurisdiction, the concerned Gram Sabha or Gram Panchayat, as the case may be, will apply to the Sub-Divisional Officer (Revenue) to demarcate and hand-over the area to them to be managed as 'Lok Van'. The Sub-Divisional Officer (Revenue) shall decide the application within a period of 30 days. If the Sub-Divisional Officer (Revenue) decides in favour of the applicant, then he shall get the land demarcated and hand over the land to the concerned Gram Sabha or Gram Panchayat within a period of 15 days from the date of taking decision. after taking the possession of the land, the Gram Panchayat or the Gram Sabha, as the case may be, shall submit an application to the Forest Ranger or any Forest Officer authorised by the DFO for scientific management as tree-clad area.(3)The application under sub-rules (1) and (2) shall be accompanied by a declaration about the land ownership or possession of land, as the case may be, with relevant record.(4)The Forest Range Officer shall send a copy of the declaration to the Patwari within 15 days of the receipt of the application who shall verify the claim from revenue records and give the certificate within 15 days. If the Patwari fails to give the certificate within the prescribed time, the declaration given by the Bhumiswami shall be deemed as correct. Subsequently if any discrepancy is detected in such records, the Patwari and the person who has given the declaration shall be held responsible for the same and punishable under the relevant law.(5)If the boundary is contiguous with the forest land the Forest Range Officer shall satisfy himself about the boundary.(6)The Forest Ranger shall intimate the Bhumiswami or the Gram Panchayat or the Gram Sabha, as the case may be, within a period of 45 days from the receipt of application as per sub-rule (3) about the certification of records. If no such intimation is received within a period of 60 days from the date of submission of application as per sub-rule (3), the records so submitted shall be deemed to be accepted as correct.
