Section 49 in Kerala Irrigation and Water Conservation Act, 2003
49. Farmer's Association.
(1)Government may authorise any officer or organisation or local authority to form water users' association by farmers (hereinafter referred to as association) with in an area of every forty hectares.(2)All the farmers having agricultural lands, fields etc. with in the area shall be members of the association.(3)Every association shall have an executive committee consisting of eleven members elected from among the members of the association, which shall be responsible for the management and implementation of the programmes of the association.(4)The members of the executive committee shall be elected once in three years by the members of the association at a meeting where at least fifty percent of the total number of members are present and voting in accordance with the bye- laws of the association.(5)The Executive committee shall elect from among themselves a president, a vice president, a secretary and a treasurer.(6)The Government may nominate any of the member of the local authority or any other person, to be a member of the executive committee.(7)The Government may, from time to time, designate an Assistant Executive Engineer of the Water Resources Department or of the Agriculture Department to assist or supervise the activities of water users' association and the executive committee.(8)The executive committee may constitute sub-committees to carry out all or any of the functions vested with each association.(9)Every association shall be registered in such manner as may be prescribed.(10)Water users' association by the name under which it is registered shall be a body corporate having perpetual succession and a common seal with power to acquire, hold and dispose of property, both movable and immovable, and enter into contract and shall by the said name sue and be sued.(11)The Government may, from time to time, give directions or suggest modifications as and when required for the functioning of the association or committee or authorise any officer or body of officers for forming and monitoring the activities of such association.(12)The Government may authorise an association to make water distribution maintenance of such part of water distribution system entrusted with it.
