Forest administration in south Odisha under the british raj A D 1858 1947 a study

Abstract

The very word administration may be defined as the system of management of newlineaffairs of a state by the government machinery, whether that holds the de-facto or the dejure newlinepower to govern over it. In the contemporary terms of modern history its meaning is newlinemore akin to a set of duly enacted law or statutes and its execution by some officials newlineor by public institutions upon which the power, authorities and responsibilities have newlinebeen vested. Different factors of administration analysed through this study in historical newlineperspective are: the authority to legislate, the subject matter of legislation, the extent of newlineadministration limiting or expanding the rights naturally enjoyed by the inhabitants. Not newlineall of those legislations made during British Raj were drafted to serve commercial or newlinerevenue interest of the Colonial Government but quite a majority were made to brought newlineorders in the system of management of the natural resources. The demand of timber for newlinelaying the rail-roads which claimed to be responsible for reduction of aged timbers was a newlinesine-qua-non for bringing the society out of the darkness of history and may not be newlinedenigrated as manifestation of the vested interest of the Colonial Government for newlineexploitation of its resources. South Odisha which comprises the undivided Gañjand#257;m and Korand#257;put districts was then under the administrative control of the Madras Presidency. The newlinepolicy of systematic forest conservation began very slowly in the region. Form 1850 newlineonwards, some forest officers were employed under the Collector of Gañjand#257;m to exploit newlinethe forests for sleepers and firewood. In 1861 a forest tax was introduced and forests newlinewere begun to work under the permit system . Many forests were leased out to sleeper contractors who worked in an arbitrary manner. In 1879 the Conservator of Forests of newlineMadras Presidency inspected the forests and classified them into four categories. After newlinethe passing of the Madras Forest Act 1882, it was implemented in the areas of south newlineOdisha.