Amendment status not verified — confirm the current text below against the official source.
(1) There shall be a State Panchayat Election Commission constituted by the Governor for superintendence, direction and control of the preparation of electoral rolls and for the conduct of all elections to the Panchayat bodies in this State under this Act and rules made thereunder. The Commission shall consist of a State Election Commissioner to be appointed by the Governor. (2) The conditions of service and tenure of the office of the Election Commissioner shall be such as the Governor may by rule determine: Provided that the State Election Commissioner shall not be removed from his office except in like manner and on like grounds as a judge of the High Court and the conditions of service of the State Election Commissioner shall not be varied to his disadvantage after his appointment. (3) The State Government shall, when so requested by the State Election Commissioner, make available to the State Election Commissioner such staff as may be necessary for the discharge of the functions conferred on the State Election Commissioner under this Act. (4) State Government may appoint a District Election Officer and Sub- Divisional Election Officer, who shall, subject to the superintendence and control of the State Election Commissioner, co-ordinate and supervise works in the District and Sub-Division in connection with the conduct of election. (5) (a) The State Election Commissioner shall, in consultation with the State Governemt, appoint an officer of the State Government to be the Electoral Registration Officer and one or more persons as Assistnat Electoral Registration Officers for each constituency; Provided that nothing in this Section shall prevent the State Election Commissioner to appoint the same person to be the Electoral Registration Officer for more than one constituency in one or more Grams. Election Appontment of Electoral Registration Officer/Assistant Electoral Registration Officer 131 (b) The electoral roll for each constituency shall be prepared and revised by the Electoral Registration Officer appointed under clause (a). (c) The Electoral Registration officer may, subject to such rules as may be prescribed, employ such persons as he thinks fit for the preparation and revision of the electoral roll for the constituency. (6) The State Election Commissioner shall appoint a Returning Officer, who shall be an officer of the State Government, for holding election to a constituency of a Zilla Parishad, a Panchayat Samiti or a Gram Panchayat. (7) The State Election Commissioner may appoint one or more Assistant Returning Officer who shall be an officer of State Government to assist the Returning Officer in the performance of his functions. Every Assistant Returning Officer shall, subject to the control of the Returning Officer, be competent to perform all or any of the functions of the Returning Officer. Provided that no Assistant Returning Officer shall perform any of the functions of the Returning officer which relate to the scrutiny of nominations unless the Returning Officer is unavoidably prevented from performing the said functions. (8) The Returning Officer shall appoint Presiding Officers and Polling Officers for holding the elections or bye-elections referred in sub- section (6) 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. (9) The powers, functions and duties of Returning Officers, Presiding Officers, and Polling Officers and the procedure for holding elections including the declaration of results shall be such as may be prescribed. (10) At every election where poll is taken, votes shall be counted by or under the supervision and direction of the Returning Officer in such manner as may be prescribed.