1. Short -title extent and commencement -

1. These rules shall be called the Chhattisgarh Transit (Forest Produce) rules, 2001.
2. They shall extend to the whole of Chhattisgarh.
3. They shall come into force with effect from the date of their publication in the Chhatisgarh Gazette.

3. Regulation of Transit of Forest produce by means of passes -
No forest produce shall be moved into or out side the State or within the State of Chhattisgarh except in the manner as herein after provided without a transit pass in form A, B or C annexed to these rules. The Transit Pass will be issued by a Forest Officer or Gram Panchayat or a person duly authorised under these rules to issue such pass.

Provided that no transit pass shall be required for the removal -

1. Of any forest produce which is being removed for bonafide domestic consumption by any person or in exercise of privilege granted in this behalf by the State Government or of a right recognised under the Act within the limits of a village in which it is produced.
2. Of such forest produce as may be exempted by the State Government from the operation of these rules by notification in the official gazette.
3. Of forest produce covered by Money receipts / Rated passes / Forest produce passes / Carting Challan issued by competent authority in accordance with the rules made in this behalf for the time being in force.
4. Of minor forest produce from forests to the local market or to the collection centre or for bonafide domestic consumption.

4. Officers and Person to issue passes:

The following officers and persons shall have power to issue passes under these rules -

(A) For forest produce belonging to the Government, the Divisinal Forest Officer, the Sub-divisional Forest Officer or any other officer authorised in this behalf in writing by the Divisional Forest Officer.
(B) For forest produce owned by any person, the Divisional Forest Officer or any officer or such other person authorised in writing by the Divisional Forest Officer or Gram Panchayat in whose jurisdiction the forest produce is found or grown.

To transport the timber and fuel obtained from the trees found in private land (Bhumi Swami) to transit pass will be issued.

Gram Panchayat or the person authorised by it shall issue the transit pass for transporting the forest produce within the district. To transport the forest produce outside the district, transit pass shall be issued by the forest officer authorised by the Divisional Forest Officer.

The transit pass shall be issued in forms A, B & C as annexed to these rules, as indicated below.

From A - to be issued by Forest Officer or the person authorised in this regard.
Form B - To be issued by Gram Panchayat.
Form C - To be issued in lieu of transit pass of the State from where the forest produce is being imported, by the officer authorised by the Divisional Forest. Officer, not below the rank of a Forester.

17. Registration for import of forest produce: -
(1) Any person who intends to import any forest produce intot he State of Chhatisgarh, shall be get himself registered in the office of the concerned Divisional Forest Officer where the forest produce is to be transported.
(2) The Divisional Forest Officer upon receipt of that application for registration, after necessary verification and on payment of Rs. 500.00 by the applicant, shall register and give the applicant registration certificate of import in Form D and such registration will be valid for the calendar year.
(3) Format of transit pass for the import of forest produce shall be registered in the Office of the Divisional Forest Officer, in whose jurisdiction the forest produce is intended to be imported. Registered format shall be intimated to the border-checking barrier. The person importing the forest produce shall submit a quarterly account of the same to the concerned Divisional Forest Officer in Form E.

18. Transit pass for forest produce being imported into the State: -
(1) (a) All forest produce which is being imported into the State of Chhatisgarh must be covered with a Transit pass issued by the exporting state and in case of timer every piece should bear a hammer impression indicated on the transit pass.
(b) At the border - checking barrier of Chhattisgarh new transit pass shall be issued by a forest officer authorised in this regard in lieu of original pass, which shall be deposited at the barrier.
(c) In case of forest produce passing through State of Chhatisgarh the transit pass from the firest border -checking barrier shall be issued of the place of final destination, mentioning the last border-checking barrier of the State.
(2) Every transit pass must be in a form, which has been registered in the office of the Divisional Forest Officer of the Divisional into which it is sought to be imported forest produce there under.

20. Forest produce in transit may be stopped and examined by certain officer: -

1. Any forest produce in transit which these rules apply and any animal, vehicle, vessel or craft carrying such forest if such officer has reasonable grounds for suspecting that it is being transported in contravention of these rules or any money which is due to Government in respected thereof has not been paid or that any forest offence has been or is being committed is respect thereof.
   
   Provided that no such officer shall vexatiously or unnecessarily detain any forest which is lawfully in transit, nor vexatiously or unnecessary unload any such forest produce or cause the same to be unloaded for the purpose of examination.
2. The person in charge of such forest produce shall furnish to any such officer all the information which he is able to give regarding the same, and if he is removing the same under a transit pass shall produce such pass on demand, for the inspection by such officer and shall not in any way prevent or resist the stoppage or examination of the forest produce by such officer.
3. Every forest produce in transit will be produced for checking at all the forest barrier ( Checking Nakas) on route.