THENI
The district administration on Thursday laid the foundation for a drinking water project, to be executed at an estimated cost of ₹62 lakh, exclusively meant for Lakshmipuram panchayat in Periyakulam block.
Under this project, a new pipeline will be laid from a well sunk on Vaigai riverbed near Kunnur on Madurai-Theni Highway to Lakshmipuram panchayat.
Officials said while Lakshmipuram panchayat contributed ₹29 lakh from its general fund, Periyakulam MLA Kathirkamu offered ₹33 lakh from his constituency development fund for implementing the project. On completion of the project, Lakshmipuram panchayat would get eight lakh litres of water per day.
It may be noted that Collector N. Venkatachalam had assured to implement a separate drinking water scheme for the panchayat last month when the local people were demanding closure of an open well in the land owned by P. Vijayalakshmi, wife of former Chief Minister O. Pannerselvam.
Meanwhile, former panchayat president Jayabal announced that the agitation to get the open well, which was handed over to one R. Subburaj by Ms. Vijayalakshmi, for the village would continue as the new project would not fulfil the entire drinking water demand of the panchayat.
The villagers said there was no development over the promise made by Mr. Subburaj last week on registering the well in the name of the panchayat.
On July 26, the row over the land and the well, owned by Ms. Vijayalakshmi, came to an end with Mr. Subburaj, in whose name they were registered recently, assuring to hand over the open well to the people of Lakshmipuram.
The villagers have been fighting for more than a month demanding that digging of an open well in a private land near the Varattaru should be stopped. They also blocked Periyakulam-Dindigul Highway demanding closure of the well on June 22 and 23, and attempted to lay siege to the well.
