Chennai, DMK president M.K. Stalin on Monday asked why the Tamil Nadu government paid Rs 600 per rapid test kit when the cost of a single kit was only Rs 245.

He also welcomed the Delhi High Court's judgement that the rapid test kits should not be sold at a price more than Rs 400 including goods and services tax (GST).

In a statement issued here, Stalin said based on the information available in the Delhi High Court's judgement, the Chinese company sold its rapid test kits at Rs 225 and the freight cost is about Rs 20 per kit taking the total cost to Rs 245 per kit.

Stalin said Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K.Palaniswami should explain why the government sourced the kits at Rs 600 per kit and that too through a city based intermediary not recognised by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) instead of directly from the Chinese company.

The Tamil Nadu government had earlier said the test kits were bought at a price fixed by the central government and from the company recognised by the centre.

AMMK leader T.T.V.Dhinakaran has also demanded a white paper on the sourcing of test kits by the Tamil Nadu government.