Gujarat: Five days to delivery, she kept working on

VADODARA: Much before the pandemic mayhem and lockdown happened, Vanita Rathod, 32, a godown manager at Petlad town of Anand district, was sanctioned maternity leave. But first ‘janta curfew’ took place and then lockdown and Rathod saw things going beyond her personal discomfort.
The state government’s food and civil supplies department employee cancelled her leave on March 22, ready, as she says, “ready for the long haul”.
In fact, to ensure that the fair price shops in the town continue to witness steady supply of essentials, Rathod worked at her office till the last days of pregnancy.
Saluting Rathod’s zeal, Gopal Bamaniya, district supply officer of Anand, said, “After the janta curfew on March 22, I convened a meeting with all the godown managers of Anand asking them to stay prepared for any exigencies. Rathod immediately responded to the call by cancelling her already sanctioned leave. In fact, with her delivery due in April end, I again asked her to reconsider sometime in mid-April, asking her to take it easy. But she put her foot down and continued to work shoulder to shoulder with others, five days before she delivered a baby boy!”.
As Rathod continued to do her work diligently, 103 fair price shops in the town distributed ration to the cardholder through the public distribution system.
The mother of a four-year-old girl, Rathod travelled 22kms daily from Anand to Petlad, her workplace. Even her husband, who works as instructor at ITI Palana in Kheda district, supported his wife throughout.
“I gave birth to my son 10 days ago. Both of us, are extremely happy and healthy. But I can’t wait to get back,” said Rathod, who has finally taken a break for her post-partum care.