Section 1 in Andhra Pradesh Farmers Management of Irrigation Systems Rules
1. Administrative Machinery for the conduct of Elections.
(1)The Election Authority shall be the Election Authority for the purpose of conduct of elections under the Andhra Pradesh Farmers' Management of Irrigation Systems Act, 1997 (Act 11 of 1997) The superintendence, direction, control and conduct of election of Members, Managing Committee and President of Water User's Associations' in the State, in ordinary vacancies and casual vacancies shall be by the District Election Authority for purpose of conduct of elections under the Act.(2)(a)The District Election Authority shall be the District Election Authority. The functions of the Election Authority under these rules may also be performed, unless specifically otherwise provided, by the District Election Authority within his jurisdiction.(b)The Joint Collector of the District shall be the Additional District Election Authority. The Revenue Divisional Officer, or the Sub-Collector, as the case may be, in the District shall be the Deputy District Election Authority.(c)The Additional District Election Authority and the Deputy District Election Authority shall perform such of those functions as may be assigned to them by the District Election Authority. The District Election Authority may authorise in writing, the Additional District Election Authority or the Deputy District Election Authority to exercise in any local area in the District in regard to any Water Users' Association, the Distributory Committee or the Project Committee in that area any of the powers vested in him under these rules.(3)Subject to the general superintendence, direction and control of the Election Authority, the District Election Authority shall be responsible for the conduct, co-ordination and supervision of all works in connection with the conduct of elections of the Members, Managing Committee and President of Water Users' Association and the Distributory Committee and the Chairman and members of the Managing Committee of the Project Committee.(4)For every election to fill the seats of Member, Managing Committee and President of Water User's Association and the Distributory Committee, and for the office of the Chairman and member of the Managing Committee of the Project Committee, the District Election Authority shall designate or nominate by order an officer as an election officer, who shall as far as possible be a Gazetted Officer of the State Government or of a local authority not below the rank of a Mandal Revenue Officer. In case Gazetted Officers are not available, other suitable officers may be appointed.(5)The District Election Authority may appoint one or more persons as Assistant Election Officers to assist any Election Officer :Provided that every such person shall be an officer of the State Government or of a local authority.(6)Every Assistant Election Officer shall, subject to the control of the Election Officer, be competent to perform all or any of the functions of the Election Officer :Provided that no Assistant Election Officer shall perform any functions of the Election Officer which relate to the scrutiny of nominations unless the Election Officer is unavoidably prevented from performing the said functions.(7)It shall be the general duty of the Election Officer at any election to do all such acts and things as may be necessary for conducting the election in the manner provided under the Act and the Rules or orders made thereunder.(8)The District Election Authority shall, subject to such directions as may be issued by the Election Authority, provide as many polling stations as are necessary for the conduct of elections and shall publish in such manner as the Election Authority may direct a list showing the polling stations and the areas or groups of voters for which they have been provided respectively.(9)(a)The District Election Authority or any other officer authorised by him shall appoint a Polling Officer for each Polling station and such other polling personnel as he thinks necessary but he shall not appoint any person who has been employed by or on behalf of or has been otherwise working for a candidate in or about the election :Provided that if a polling clerk is absent, the Polling Officer may appoint any person who is present at the polling station other than a person who has been employed by or on behalf of or has been otherwise working for a candidate in or about the election to be the polling clerk and inform the Election Officer accordingly.Provided further that the polling personnel appointed for the conduct of poll for Member, Managing Committee and President of Water Users' Association, any other officer authorised by him in this behalf under this rule may, without a separate appointment conduct the poll for any other elective office for which the election is conducted simultaneously.(b)A polling clerk shall, if so directed by the Polling Officer, perform all or any of the functions of a Polling Officer under these Rules.(c)If a Polling Officer owing to illness or due to unavoidable cause, absent himself, from the polling station his functions, shall be performed by such polling clerk as has been previously authorised by the Election Officer to perform such functions during any such absence.(d)It shall be the general duty of the Polling Officer at the polling station to keep and maintain public order there at, and to see that the poll is taken in a fair manner.
