Visakhapatnam, Apr 13 (IANS): Less than a month after giving birth to a child, an Indian Administrative Service Officer (IAS) in Andhra Pradesh returned to work to join the battle against coronavirus.

Though entitled for six-month maternity leave, Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) Commissioner Srijana Gummalla returned to work in view of the key position she is holding and the requirements of the current situation due to the pandemic.

The IAS officer's photo with the baby boy in her arm and attending a phone call with the other hand went viral on the social media on Monday.

The extraordinary grit shown by this 2013 IAS batch officer came in for lot of praise from a cross section of people on various social media platform

"Young #IAS Officers leading #fightagainst corona. GVMC Visakhapatnam Commissioner, Ms Gummalla Srijana @Gummalla Srijana joined back on duty with one month old baby without maternity leave to serve the City," tweeted the IAS Association.

Srijana responded saying she was happy to receive best wishes from multiple quarters, though she was not expecting the same. "In this hour of crisis many people are doing their bit, some donating money, some distributing food, some working over times. Similarly I felt that my joining back would be more relevant," tweeted the young official.

"Its not just me, many women and men, foregoing their personal comforts, are working in front lines to thwart this pandemic. I feel I am privileged with ample help from family and support from government to join back in these extraordinary times," she wrote.

The officer also wrote that she is taking every precaution so the child is not exposed to any sort of contamination, much less this virus. "I am ensuring that my child receives the feed at proper time and is nurtured in right manner."

The official said she goes home every four hours to feed the child and return to work. Her husband and mother take care of the child in her absence.