The lockdown has come as a blessing in disguise for many in public service, who rarely get to spend quality time with their family.

Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy, Minister for Panchayat Raj, Rural Development and Mines and Geology, is relishing his stay at home after a busy election campaign last year, and an even busier work schedule after the YSR Congress Party stormed to power.

"Ever since the government was formed, we did not get any time to rest. Fortunately, I am able to spend some time with my family now," Mr. Ramachandra Reddy told The Hindu.

Half of the Minister’s day is spent in attending review meetings with officials and video-conferences with the Chief Minister’s Office, inspecting the district’s COVID-19 hospital, overseeing sanitary measures with municipal officials and coordinating with medical and health officials on the ground.

"The rest of the day is family time," he quips, while playing with his grandson. Though residing in Tirupati, he regularly visits his Punganur constituency headquarters, located 110 km away, to stay in touch with the public and to listen to their woes.

Similarly, Tirupati MLA Bhumana Karunakar Reddy has made it a practice to visit a traffic junction everyday, and alert the public on the need to follow social distancing. His son B. Abhinay Reddy, who was elected corporator in the recent local body elections, joined ward volunteers in free distribution of home cooked food.

‘Humane touch’

Retired IAS officer N. Muktheswara Rao is disseminating awareness messages on coronavirus from his home. While stressing on social distancing, he urged the public to come forward and help the hundreds of daily wagers who have lost their livelihood. Mr. Rao is spreading information through newspapers, channels and social media, apart from reaching out to the official machinery with suggestions on disaster management plans.