Maharashtra: Civil services officers join hands to support govt's efforts in fighting COVID-19

Vaibhav Jain and his officers would get at least 700 calls a day, requesting assistance for food supplies, medical help and other needs. Pic/Atul Kamble

Vaibhav Jain, 41
Additional Income Tax Commisioner (IRS)

In April, associations representing officers of 28 central civil services, including the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), the Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Revenue Service (IRS) joined forces to launch an initiative called Caruna, to support and supplement the government's efforts in fighting the Coronavirus pandemic. The acronym stands for Civil Services Associations Reach to Support in Natural Disasters.

Given his expertise and networking skills, Vaibhav Jain, Assistant Income Tax Commissioner (IRS), was tasked with heading the Maharashtra chapter, along with managing efforts in other parts of the country. "During the lockdown, there was a need for extensive and minute coordination, right from sourcing food to identifying beneficiaries and making sure that the supplies reach the right person. So, we created smaller teams, each delegated with the task of receiving calls, verifying information, distribution and liaising with NGOs." Jain even started receiving calls from the Bihar administration to assist with supplies. "They sent us a list of 2,000 families in need. We verified each and everyone and made packets for 30 days." When his team would go into the field, their phone numbers would invariably get circulated. In a day, his team would receive nothing less than 700 calls. It got overwhelming sometimes, he admits.

While the overarching objective of the initiative was to manage food logistics so that no citizen went hungry, the responsibility often went beyond. When cyclone Nisarga ravaged the state in June, Jain and his officers arranged for tarpaulins to be sent to over 1,000 houses in Thane district. "We helped with medical assistance, hospitalisation and plasma therapy for several critical patients in Delhi, Telangana and Mumbai." He says they got pregnant women admitted at hospitals and even helped cremate the dead. "There was the mother of an Army personnel, who passed away and her sons were serving in different parts of the country. They were supposed to reach Mumbai, but needed help to preserve the body until then. So, we did the needful."

According to Jain, being a government official came handy because they knew what was the right thing to do in a national crisis and had the necessary skill. "At that point, the administration required help identifying beneficiaries and there were people who were desperately seeking assistance. Connecting all these people wasn't easy, but that's where we came in."

Jain says his contribution was more in terms of time and energy and to augment government efforts. "I must commend the Mumbai Police, who provided us with their officers and vehicles when we went to distribute food supplies and ensured we weren't mobbed, especially in Dharavi and Worli."

Jain's crew also played an instrumental role in not just rescuing pets but also pulling down 167 misleading hoardings - warning people that the virus is spread through animals - that were cropping up in the city.

Jain says being a government official means there are certain protocols to follow. "Even in helping people, you need to be a little restrained. You can't always be at the front, but that shouldn't stop us from being good human beings."