Sail profit down in Apr-Dec '05-06

New Delhi, Mar 25: SAIL has declared an interim dividend of 12.5 per cent after achieving an eight per cent growth, but its net profit has declined to Rs 2,935 crore for April-December 2005-06.

The profit was lower compared to corresponding period of last year mainly due to lower steel prices and input cost escalation of coking coal, Ministry sources said today.

But the company achieved the highest ever saleable steel production of 8.59 million tonnes in Apr-Dec 2005-o6, about eight per cent higher than that in the same period last year.

UNI