THENI: The Lakshmipuram giant well issue does not seem to die down as talks between the villagers, O Panneerselvam and two of his mediators failed on Wednesday.
It is believed that OPS agreed to sell the giant well, borewell, and 2.31 acres of land to the villagers for `1.5 crores, but the locals were only willing to pay `1 crore. The villagers have decided to stage a protest by gagging their mouths with black clothes on Thursday.
Sources said mediators Pandiarajan and Murugesan visited Lakshmipuram and urged the agitation committee to come to Periyakulam for conciliatory talks. However, the residents and the committee refused to do so, and instead, they sent two representatives, Perumalsamy and Saravanan, for the discussion held at the house of OPS in Periyakulam.
Jayabal, the president of the agitation committee, and the residents remained steadfast in their decision to purchase the well. Karthikeyan, a committee member, told Express that the two mediators and OPS first agreed to give the giant well and borewell for free, given they are allowed to dig a new well some distance away from the existing giant well. But the representatives refused to accept the proposal and asked OPS to sell them.