KARUR: A 35-year-old Dalit woman has recently petitioned the district collector and the SP in Karur, alleging that she was removed from her post as a cook under the Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme (CMBS) at a panchayat union middle school near Thogamalai in Karur district, allegedly due to caste-based discrimination.
Sources said R Nirosha, a resident of Chinna Reddipatti in Thogamalai union, was appointed as a cook at the panchayat union middle school under the CMBS when the scheme was launched at the school on September 10, 2025. Nirosha was one of the two cooks working under the scheme at the school.
Speaking to TNIE, Nirosha alleged on Sunday that parents of some students benefiting from the scheme had objected to her cooking food for their children. They also made remarks referring to her caste. Subsequently, on December 16, the headmistress asked her to quit, stating that the parents had stopped sending their children for breakfast.
When she reported for duty the next day, she found another woman working in her place, whom she claimed belonged to a caste Hindu. She subsequently approached the Block Mission Manager (BMM), Mahalir Thittam, who reiterated the stand taken by the headmistress.
On December 18, Nirosha submitted a CSR complaint at Thogamalai police station stating that she was asked to stop reporting to duty by BMM of Thogamalai union, following pressure from the school headmistress, Bhanumathi.
However, during an enquiry, BMM stated that Nirosha had not been removed from service and that she had been absent from work for these days. When contacted, District Education Officer Shanmugam told TNIE that Nirosha had not been terminated. He said she had remained absent following remarks allegedly made by the parents on her caste, adding that she was free to resume duty.
Attempts made to contact headmistress Bhanumathi over the phone were in vain. Meanwhile, Nirosha said she would not return to work unless action is taken against those who allegedly abused her by referring to her caste.