Coronavirus in Mumbai: In pandemic, Badlapur family turns catering business into service for poor

Mumbai: A Badlapur family, which has been running a catering business for the last three years, providing tiffin service to MIDC workers until the lockdown, has put adversity to sweet use. It is now serving food to the distressed and the needy at discounted prices. A plate of food, which cost Rs 80, is now being sold at Rs 20.

However, for those who cannot afford this, the food is served free of cost. Interestingly, the Uddhav Thackeray state government had slashed its Shiv Bhojan thali price to Rs 5 from Rs 10, during the lockdown and the number of that is allotted to each district too has been increased five-fold, the Maharashtra Food and Civil Supplies Minister Chhagan Bhujbal had earlier informed.

Coming back to the Badlapur family, Sachin Gaikwad, the brains behind the current social initiative, said, "This is our family business, providing meals twice a day, to about 100 people daily.

We are coordinating through WhatsApp and other social media sites, to reach poor people. The aim is to assist the maximum number of families." Those who can pay Rs 20 per plate do so, but those who cannot, are provided free meals, he asserted.

So far, this service is only available in Badlapur. The food is delivered to the doorstep of the poor, Gaikwad said. " There are 12 members in our family and each one has an assigned task. Some of us cook food, others do the packaging while the rest deliver the food, " he added.