Chennai, Sept. 3 -- The Tamil Nadu government will sell onions at Rs 35 per kg through 8,739 ration shops in urban areas from Thursday (September 3) to check soaring prices.

The scheme will cover around 80 lakh family cardholders in the first phase, with each family entitled to one kg of onions. The government has procured 1000 tonnes of onions through NAFED and the National Cooperative Consumers' Federation.

Onions are currently selling at Rs 56 to Rs 60 per kg in the open market due to higher transport costs, adverse weather and reduced arrivals from Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

Tamil Nadu Food Minister P Venkatraman on Thursday launched the state government's subsidised onion sale programme at a ration shop in Alwarpet in Chennai...