State Act
Section 10. Claims to rights of occupancy and ownership. Admitted claims. Rejected claims – Appeals.
10. In the case of a claim to a right in or over any land other than the following rights:- (a) a right of way; (b) a right to a water-course, or to use of water; (c) a right of pasture; or (d) a right to forest-produce; the Forest-settlement-officer shall pass an order specifying the particulars of such claim and admitting or rejecting the same wholly or in part. i. If such claim is admitted wholly or in part, the Forest-settlement-officer may (1) come to an agreement with the claimant for the surrender of the right; or (2) exclude the land from the limits of the proposed forests; or (3) proceed to acquire such land in the manner provided by the Land Acquisition Act, 18701. For the purpose of so acquiring such land- (i) the Forest-settlement-officer shall be deemed to be a Collector proceeding under the Land Acquisition Act, 18701; (ii) the claimant shall be deemed to be a person interested and appearing before him in pursuance of a notice given under section 9 of that Act; (iii) the provisions of the preceding sections of that Act shall be deemed to have been complied with; and (iv) the Forest-settlement-officer with the consent of the claimant, or the Court (as defined in the said Act) with the consent of the claimant and of the Collector of the district, may award compensation by the grant of right in or over land, or by the payment of money, or both. ii. If such claim is rejected wholly or in part, Rejected the claimant may, date of the order, prefer an appeal to the District Court in respect of such rejection only: Provided that the 1[Government] may, on just and reasonable cause for the same being shown, extend the period for such appeal within such further period as may seem proper, and an order or endorsement under the signature of one of the Secretaries to Government shall be sufficient authority for the said Court to entertain such specified. If the Court decides that the claim or such part thereof as has been rejected should be admitted, the Forest-settlement-officer shall proceed to deal with it in like manner as if it had been in the first instance admitted by himself. iii. When a claim has been admitted in the first instance wholly or in part, a like appeal may be preferred on behalf of Government by the Forest- officer appointed under section 4, or other person generally or specially empowered by the Government in this behalf.