The People’s Awareness Forum (Makkal Vizhippunarvu Sangam) on January 25 honoured S. Padma (48), a sanitary worker from Krishnampet, for her honesty after she returned a bag containing about 45 sovereigns of gold jewellery found while on duty in T. Nagar recently.
On January 11, Ms. Padma handed over the bag to the Pondy Bazaar police with the help of her supervisor, enabling it to be returned to its rightful owner. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin later acknowledged her act and presented her with a cheque for ₹1 lakh.
Forum convenor Santhanam said the decision to honour her was driven by the values she represented. “Despite financial hardship, she chose honesty. If such people are not recognised, something is wrong with our societal mindset,” he said.
A similar incident involving Ms. Padma’s family was recalled at the event. About five years ago, her husband Subramani, an autorickshaw driver, had returned an unclaimed bag containing around ₹1 lakh to the police.
The event was held at Parvathi Hospital, with its chairman, Dr. S. Muthukumar, as the chief guest. Dr. Muthukumar and the forum felicitated Padma with a cash award and a shield.
