PNB pays Rs 72.9 cr dividend to govt

New Delhi, Mar 5 (UNI) Punjab National Bank today paid 40 per cent interim dividend amounting to Rs 72.90 crore for the financial year 2006-07 to the government.

The bank earned a net profit of Rs 1,302.38 crore for the nine months of the current financial year 2006-07. Its net interest income increased by 18 per cent year-on-year to Rs 4,092 crore in the nine months ended December 2006.

Net Interest Margin of the bank also increased to 4.21 per cent in December 2006 as compared to 4 per cent in December 2005.

The total business of the bank as on December 2006 stood at Rs 2,17,874 crore registering growth of 26 per cent.

PNB Chairman and Managing Director S C Gupta presented the dividend cheque to Finance Minister P Chidambaram.

The bank's Executive Director K Raghuraman, General Managers Arun Kaul and Y P Narang were also present on the occasion.

UNI