Chavakkad (Thrissur): In a rare act of public spirit, a woman who had safeguarded official documents of a panchayat six decades ago has now donated three cents of her land to the same panchayat for a portable drinking water project.

97-year-old R K Nafeesa, wife of P K Muhammed of Vattekkadu, handed over the land to the Kadappuram Panchayat, marking a full-circle moment in her lifelong association with the local body.

Around 60 years ago, when the Orumanayoor-Kadappuram Panchayat was carved out by dividing the Orumanayoor Panchayat in 1964, there was no office building for the newly formed panchayat. As a result, official records, including revenue records and title documents, were kept at Nafeesa’s home. For two years, before the office shifted to a rented building, the panchayat office itself had been operating from her residence.

Now, Nafeesa has donated three cents of land on Vattekkadu Road, valued at several lakhs, to the panchayat. The donation followed a request from V P Mansoor Ali, Chairman of the Kadappuram Panchayat Welfare Standing Committee. According to District Panchayat Member V M Muhammad Gazali, a borewell allocated by the district panchayat for Kadappuram will be constructed on the property donated by Nafeesa.

Commenting on her gesture, Nafeesa said distributing drinking water was a holy act, which inspire her to donate the land.

The Leader of Opposition, V D Satheesan, received the registered land documents from Nafeesa’s sons, R K Jamaluddin, R K Kamarauddin, R K Harris and her son-in-law R V Hameed.