Election of President, Vice-President and Members of the Managing Committee of Water Users’ Association

(1) There shall be a Managing Committee for each Water Users’ Association comprising members of the Territorial Constituencies as specified in sub-section (2) of section 3 elected directly by the Water Users as specified in clause (i) of sub-section (4) of section 3 of the Act from their respective Territorial Constituencies: Provided that two members nominated by the Gram Panchayat of whom one shall be a woman, shall be the members of the Managing Committees of Minor Irrigation Water Users’ Associations, without voting rights, in the manner prescribed. (2) The Managing Committee for water Users Association shall be a continuous body, with one third of its elected members thereof retiring every two years as specified in sub-section (3). (3) The term of office of the members of the Territorial Constituencies shall, if not recalled or removed or disqualified under the provisions of the Act, shall be six years from the date of first meeting of the Managing Committee appointed by the Commissioner: Provided that at the first election, all the Territorial Constituency members shall be elected at one time, out of which one third of the members thereof shall retire as soon as may be on the completion of two years, another one third members shall retire after completion of four years and the remaining one third shall retire after completion of six years in office and their terms of retirement shall be decided by drawal of lots. (4) The term of office of all the Territorial Constituency members elected subsequent to the first election against the vacancies of retirement, as specified in sub-section (3) shall be of six years, if not recalled or removed or disqualified under the provisions of the Act. (5) The District Collector shall cause arrangements for the election of a managing committee consisting of one member from each of the Territorial Constituencies of a Water Users area by a simplified election procedure in the manner prescribed: Provided that for the reasons to be recorded in writing the Government may, from time to time, postpone the elections. (6) The District Collector shall also cause arrangements for the election of a President and a Vice-President of the managing committee from among the members of the managing committee of the water users association in the manner prescribed: Provided that for the reasons to be recorded in writing, the Government may, from time to time, postpone the elections. (7) If at an election held under sub-sections (5) and (6), the President or the Vice-President or the members of the Territorial Constituencies of water users association are not elected, fresh elections shall be held in the manner prescribed. (8) The President and the Vice-President of the Managing Committee of the water users association shall, if not recalled or removed or disqualified by the provisions of the Act, be in office for a period of two years from the date of election or his tenure as member of Territorial Constituency, whichever is earlier. (9) The term of office of the President, the Vice-President and the members of Managing Committee of all the water users associations formed, subsequent to ordinary election, shall also expire at the time at which it would have expired, if he had been elected at the ordinary election, be reckoned from the date as appointed by the Commissioner, as specified in sub-section (3). (10) The Managing Committee shall exercise the powers and perform the functions of the water users association.