O Panneerselvam finally agrees to gift plot with well to village

Madurai: The former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam finally ended the land transfer controversy by agreeing to give the 14-cent patta land with the well as ‘gift deed’ to the Lakshmipuram village panchayat.

Panneerselvam made this decision after he held another round of peace talks with the village committee through his brother O. Raja on Wednesday evening in the village. K. Karthikeyan, a member of the village committee disclosed the development to DC after they agreed to accept his offer.

Earlier in the morning, villagers launched a second round of protest condemning Pannerselvam for transferring the agricultural land and an open well to R. Subburaj from R. Vijayalakshmi, his wife.

When Panneerselvam held the first round of talk with the committee at the circuit house recently, he agreed to sell the well and the land around it which was in name of his wife Vijayalakshmi to the people and gave three months time for them to purchase it.

However, the villagers were shocked when they have learned from the Periyakulam sub-registrar’s office that Panneerselvam had transferred one acre and 60 cents of land under survey number 3054 and a well, along with 5 HP motor pump set, Tangedco deposit and coconut trees to Subburaj, his close relative.

“We are concerned about solving the drinking water crisis in our village. Hence when Panneerselvam’s brother invited us for a talk, we agreed for it. Though we expressed over willingness to purchase the land along with the well (a bore well), he wanted to offer it as ‘gift deed’ in the name of village panchayat,” said Karthikeyan.

The former Chief Minister also informed the committee members to initiate the official formalities at any data fixed by them. “We are happy with his decision,” said the committee members.