(1) The State Government may authorise any of its department (herein in this Chapter referred to as the authorised department) to administer and implement the provisions of this Chapter.
(2) The office of the authorised department shall be located at such places which are accessible to owners, operators of non-mechanically propelled inland vessel and service users of such vessels.
(3) The offices of the authorised department shall in the order of hierarchy of power, be at district, taluk and panchayat or village level, or any other hierarchy as may be prescribed by the State Government, and shall exercise the powers and functions as may be prescribed by that Government, which shall include the powers and functions to—
(a) enrol the non-mechanically propelled inland vessel under this Chapter;
(b) collate data with regard to the non-mechanically propelled inland vessel enrolled under this Act and report it to the higher authority in the hierarchy of power;
(c) administer the welfare fund constituted under this Chapter in accordance with such authority and obligation;
(d) advise and conduct awareness programmes for assisting the owners, operators or service users of non-mechanically propelled inland vessel enrolled under this Act; and
(e) perform such other functions as may be assigned under this Act or the rules made thereunder.