49C. Declaration by dealers - (1) Every person carrying on the business or occupation referred to in sub-section (1) of section 49B shall, within thirty days from the specified date, declare to the Chief Wild Life Warden or the authorised officer, -

(a) his stocks, if any, as at the end of the specified date of -

(i) scheduled animal articles;

(ii) scheduled animals and parts thereof;

(iii) trophies and uncured trophies derived from scheduled animals;

(iv) captive animals, being scheduled animals;

(v) ivory imported into India or articles made therefrom;

(b) the place or places at which the stocks mentioned in the declaration are kept; and

(c) the description of such items, if any, of the stocks mentioned in the declaration which he desires to retain with himself for his bona fide personal use.

(2) On receipt of a declaration under sub-section (1), the Chief Wild Life Warden or the authorised officer may take all or any of the measures specified in section 41 and for this purpose the provisions of section 41 shall so far as may be, apply.

(3) Where, in a declaration made under sub-section (1), the person making the declaration expresses his desire to retain with himself any of the items of the stocks specified in the declaration for his bona fide use, the Chief Wild Life Warden, with the prior approval of the Director, may, if he is satisfied that the person is in lawful possession of such items, issue certificates of ownership in favour of such person with respect to all, or as the case may be, such of the items as in the opinion of the Chief Wild Life Warden , are required for the bona fide personal use of such person and affix upon such items identification marks in such manner as may be prescribed;

Provided that no such item shall be kept in any commercial premises.

(4) No person shall obliterate or counterfeit any identification mark referred to in sub-section (3).

(5) An appeal shall lie against any refusal to grant certificate or ownership under sub-section (3) and the provisions of sub-sections (2), (3) and (4) of section 46 shall, so far as may be, apply in relation to appeals under this sub-section.

(6) Where a person who has been issued a certificate of ownership under sub-section (3) in respect of any item,_

(a) transfers such item of any person, whether by way of gift, sale or otherwise, or

(b) transfers or transports from the State in which he resides to another State any such item, he shall, within thirty days of such transfer or transport, report the transfer or transport to the Chief Wild Life Warden or the authorised officer within whose jurisdiction the transfer or transport is effected.

(7) No person, other than a person who has been issued a certificate of ownership under sub-section (3) shall, on and after the specified date, keep under his control, sell or offer for sale or transfer to any person any scheduled animal or a scheduled animal article or ivory imported into India or any article made therefrom.