Row over well linked to OPS family ends

Current owner hands over ‘dhaana’ settlement to village panchayat

THENI

The long-drawn row over the farm well, earlier owned by P. Vijayalakshmi, wife of Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, came to an end with A. Subburaj of Thamaraipadi, a close associate of Mr. Panneerselvam, donating the well and signing a ‘dhaana’ settlement to Lakshmipuram panchayat on Monday to enable it to register the well in the name of the Governor of Tamil Nadu.

Mr. Subburaj and Murugesan of Gopalapuram came to the registrar’s office at South Agraharam in Periyakulam in the morning and signed the ‘dhaana’ settlement. The well was registered and the documents were handed over to the panchayat.

The action by the associates of Mr. Panneerselvam was based on the decision taken at a peace meeting held between them and village panchayat committee members in Periyakulam on Saturday.

At the meeting, Mr. Subburaj gave a written assurance to the villagers to this effect. Following the development, the villagers withdrew their agitation.

The first round of peace talks held between the members of Lakshmipuram panchayat committee and the representatives of Mr. Subburaj on August 8 failed as the latter sought permission from the villagers to dig another well in the vicinity. The villagers immediately announced a series of agitations.

Initially, the row over the land and well had come to an end on July 26 as Mr. Panneerselvam announced that he was ready to offer the land free of cost to the villagers. But the dispute resurfaced on August 6 as the residents of Lakshmipuram observed a fast condemning the inordinate delay in handing over the well to the panchayat.

They had been protesting against drawing of water from the open well dug in the land near Varattaru river in Thamaraikulam village of Lakshmipuram panchayat to irrigate 200 acres of land situated far away since June 21.