MGNREGA woman worker stumbles upon rare gold chains

VELLORE: A dollar and gold chains weighing nearly 456 grams, supposedly 500 years and worth more than Rs 25 lakh was found when Rani (52), wife of Manickam, a worker was doing desilting work, near the Pappaneri lake in Chinna Vengayapalli Panchayat, Thiruppathur Taluk limits on Tuesday. According to sources, Rani found a broken chain and a dollar on the sand, and threw them away without knowing that it was made of gold.  Later she showed them to other workers working under Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme, who appreciated the art-work of the materials. The workers found another seven-sovereign chain when they dug up further more. The co-workers suspected that they must be made of gold and finally called on the panchayat chairperson Thilagavathy Raja.

Deputy tahsildar, Thiruppathur, Santhi who was present, asked a goldsmith to come over to the Pappaneri to check the ornaments. The goldsmith, after inspecting the finds said that the ornaments were made of pure gold and weighed 456 grams and could be 500-year-old. Santhi and other officials handed over the dollar and gold chains to the Thiruppathur treasury.