India’s Corona Heroes: This Andhra Pradesh IAS Officer Is Winning Hearts As She Returns To Work With Her Month-Old Baby

New Delhi: At this crucial time, when India is fighting the pandemic – coronavirus,  the chief of Visakhapatnam’s municipal body – Srijana Gummalla decided to return to her office with her month-old baby in her arms to do her bit for the country. The officer said it is the call of duty that motivated her to join office on priority. The officer joined the office immediately after delivering her baby boy and decided to give away her maternity leaves that are every women’s right in the country. Speaking to NDTV, Srijana Gummalla, Commissioner of the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation said,

I went to the office in the morning and my son was born in the evening. Today, with the coronavirus outbreak, the circumstances are such. I requested the Chief Minister to allow me to rejoin and he asked me if I was completely sure. I am grateful that he allowed me.

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She further said,

As a human being, it is my response to be of some help to the administration. I felt that this is the time we should all stand together and be of strength to each other. I understand that maternity right is the right that has won over after many struggles. But in this crucial time, I have decided not to exercise my right and join back to duty as me being in my job right now is more relevant than any other times.

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Highlighting more details of her work and what all precautions she is taking being a new mother at this time of the pandemic, Mrs Gummalla added,

Most of our work requires going out in the fields, we need to go out and check on the sanitation drives or the surveillance work that is being done. Fieldworks are a huge part of life in our domain, but being a new mother, I do take all the necessary precautions. I come back every 3-4 hours to breastfeed my baby, I am also trying to do work as much as possible on video or telephonic conferences. I am very careful about where I go and who I meet. Most importantly, I am careful in the way I sanitise myself after I come back from any fieldwork.

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The 2013-batch IAS officer has won many praises on social media for her courage to come back to work with her month-old baby.

Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat praised the officer and expressed gratitude for attending to the “call of duty”. He said,

The country is fortunate to have such corona warriors. My heartfelt gratitude for this living example of commitment to duty.

BJP leader BL Santhosh added,

She is Smt Srijana Gummala, Greater Vishakaatnam Municipal Commissioner.. She returned to her work with her 1 month old baby in hand to duty . The crisis made her to answer the call of duty. Nation is lucky to have such Corona Warriors.

Apart from leaders, even Twitter users gave a big thumbs up to the officer.

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