Covid duty keeps this MC official on toes

Sandeep Rana
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, May 13

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From an easygoing 9 am to 5 pm job to 24X7 duty, life is quite hectic for this frontline warrior these days, but he goes on with a smile.

Gagandeep Sharma, an official in the Municipal Corporation (MC), has handled several responsibilities, including establishment branch and legal cell, in the past. The latest is contact tracing and quarantining. His day begins at 4 am.

“I ensure that the list of persons to be home-quarantined is ready for the quarantine teams in the morning,” says Gagan.

The teams start visiting quarantined houses between 8 am and 8:30 am. Gagan coordinates with the team members throughout the day. In the evening, all teams submit reports and Gagan updates these details on the official website of the MC.

“When the first positive case was reported from Bapu Dham Colony, I immediately called the patient for his address and other details. The teams were immediately deputed there. We got free around 1:30 am that day,” he recalls.

“This all has been made possible due to the efforts of our nodal officer Anil Garg, who encouraged and guided the whole team,” adds Gagan. He and his subordinates Amit, Bhaskar Dhiman, Rahul and Robin have been on their toes since March 18.

The professional dedication comes at some personal cost. “Sometimes my family, wife and children get disturbed due to my odd working hours, but it’s a war-like situation today and we understand our responsibility. We have to perform our duty, so why not do it with a smile.”

Gagan has some disability in his left leg since his childhood. However, he has never let it become a hindrance in his work. “It only motivated me to do good in life,” he adds.