Braving threats and disturbances from a few anti-social elements in Kannagi Nagar, a 33-year-old autorickshaw driver and a team of four cooks have been preparing food and delivering it to the needy as well as to homeless persons in the locality, over the past few months.

Meet V. Balasubramanian, who has been driving autorickshaws for the past eight years. He has been providing food to hundreds of needy people every day, with financial help from some good Samaritans and the support of a vegetable vendor and cooks in Kannagi Nagar.

“A person named Mahalingam who works in an IT company provides us with financial support, and vegetable vendors Sobiya Rajasekar and her husband V. Rajasekar provide us with vegetables free or at very cheap rates. Many grocery shops provide rice at subsidised rates. The cooks also take a nominal payment as they are also suffering without a job. All of us, as a team, help the poor,” says Mr. Balasubramanian.

On a daily basis, he provides lunch and dinner to at least 300 people. “When I was living on Anna Salai, I collected money and distributed food and blankets to people during the tsunami and again during the Chennai floods. It gives me happiness to help others,” he explains.

K. Ansari, one of the cooks, said that he used to run a food stall in Moore Market before being resettled at Kannagi Nagar. “Now we don’t have any business. So we take a very nominal amount from Balasubramanian and cook biryani or vegetable rice every day. We start work around 11 a.m., and by noon the food is ready,” he says.

Sobiya Rajasekar, who runs the Suyambulingam vegetable shop in Thoraipakkam, said that she and her husband were moved by the service rendered by Balasubramanian. “Most of the vegetables we provide free of cost, but we provide some costly vegetables at a subsidised rate,” she says.

However some anti-social elements in the locality threaten Balasubramanian and the cooks often, they claim. “They created unnecessary problems, following which I lodged a complaint at the Kannagi Nagar police station. They were picked up by the police. Now, some of their friends hurl abuses at me and my family. But it does not bother me, I will continue serving the people,” he adds.