Section 22 in The Maharashtra Village Panchayats Act, 1959
22. Officers, etc. at elections not to act for candidates or influence voting.
(1)No person who is a returning officer, or a presiding or polling officer at an election or an officer or a clerk appointed by the returning officer or the presiding officer to perform any duty in connection with an election shall, in the conduct or the management of the election, do any act (other than the giving of his vote) for the furtherance of the prospects of the election of a candidate.(2)No such person as aforesaid, and no member of a Police force, shall endeavour-(a)to persuade any person to give his vote at an election, or(b)to dissuade any person from giving his vote at an election, or(c)to influence the voting of any person at an election in any manner.(3)Any person who contravenes the provisions of sub-section (1) or sub-section (2) shall, on conviction, be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months or with fine or with both.(3A)[ The Deputy or Assistant Charity Commissioner may, after such detailed and impartial inquiry and following such procedure as may be prescribed, de-register the trust on the following grounds :-(a)when its purpose is completely fulfilled ; or(b)when its purpose becomes unlawful ; or(c)when the fulfilment of its purpose becomes impossible by destruction of the trust-property or otherwise ; or(d)when the trust, being revocable, is expressly revoked ; or(e)when the trustees are found not doing any act for fulfilling object of the trust :Provided that, no trust shall be de-registered under clause (e) unless its trustees have committed default in reporting the change under sub-section (1), in submission of the audited accounts as prescribed by sub-section (2) of section 33 or sub-section (1A) of section 34 or in making any other compliance prescribed by or under this Act for a period of five years from the last date of reporting the change, submission of the accounts or making the compliance, as prescribed by or under this Act or the rules made thereunder, as the case may be.(3B)The Deputy or Assistant Charity Commissioner may take over the management of properties of the trust de-registered under subsection (3A) and pass such necessary orders for the same as he deems fit and may, if he considers it expedient, dispose them of by sale or otherwise and deposit the sale proceeds in the Public Trusts Administration Fund established under section 57.] [Inserted by Maharashtra Act No. 9 of 2016, dated 31.3.2016.]
