The Act restricts State Governments and other authorities from changing reserved forests or using forest land for non-forest purposes without prior Central Government approval.
THE FOREST (CONSERVATION) ACT, 1980 ________ ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS _______ SECTIONS 1. Short title, extent and commencement. 2. Restriction on the dereservation of forests or use of forest land for non-forest purpose. 3. Constitution of Advisory Committee. 4. Power to make rules. 5. Repeal and saving. 1 THE FOREST (CONSERVATION) ACT, 1980 ACT NO. 69 OF 1980 [27th December, 1980.] An Act to provide for the conservation of forests and for matters connected therewith or ancillary or incidental thereto. BE it enacted by Parliament in the Thirty-first Year of the Republic of India as follows:— 1. Short title, extent and commencement.—(1) This Act may be called the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. (2) It extends to the whole of India except the State of Jammu and Kashmir. (3) It shall be deemed to have come into force on the 25th day of October, 1980. 2. Restriction on the dereservation of forests or use of forest land for non-forest purpose.— Notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force in a State, no State Government or other authority shall make, except with the prior approval of the Central Government, any order directing— (i) that any reserved forest (within the meaning of the expression “reserved forest” in any law for the time being in force in that State) or any portion thereof, shall cease to be reserved; (ii) that any forest land or any portion thereof may be used for any non-forest purpose. Explanation.—For the purposes of this section “non-forest purpose” means the breaking up or clearing of any forest land or portion thereof for any purpose other than reafforestation. 3. Constitution of Advisory Committee.—The Central Government may constitute a Committee consisting of such number of persons as it may deem fit to advise that Government with regard to— (i) the grant of approval under section 2; and (ii) any other matter connected with the conservation of forests which may be referred to it by the Central Government. 4. Power to make rules.—(1) The Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, make rules for carrying out the provisions of this Act. (2) Every rule made under this Act shall be laid, as soon as may be after it is made, before each House of Parliament, while it is in session, for a total period of thirty days which may be comprised in one session or in two or more successive sessions, and if, before the expiry of the session immediately following the session or the successive sessions aforesaid, both Houses agree in making any modification in the rule or both Houses agree that the rule should not be made, the rule shall thereafter have effect only in such modified form or be of no effect, as the case may be; so, however, that any such modification or annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under that rule. 5. Repeal and saving.—(1) The Forest (Conservation) Ordinance, 1980 (17 of 1980) is hereby repealed. (2) Notwithstanding such repeal, anything done or any action taken under the provisions of the said Ordinance shall be deemed to have been done or taken under the corresponding provisions of this Act. 2