Hindustan Zinc Ltd (HZL) has reported a 27 per cent jump in sales to Rs 1,233.74 crore in 1997-98. Profit before tax stood at Rs 201.77 crore. The company has also announced a dividend of Rs 16.27 crore, which is 2.3 times more than the previous year, a company release said. Addressing shareholders at the 32nd annual general meeting (AGM) chairman and managing director KVK Seshavataramzl said, the company achieved zinc metal production at 1.36 lakh tonnes while exports of concentrate was 1.19 lakh tonnes valuing 30.24 million dollars.

Citizen enters India with eco-drive range of watches

The Citizen Trading Company is set to launch its watches in the country with the introduction of `eco-drive'. These watches, the first to roll out from the Chennai-based plant, are powered by light requiring no battery change. "Eco-drive is equipped to convert any kind of light into electrical energy and store it in a secondary battery, which saves energy anddrives the watch," Citizen (India) managing director J Tsuruta said. When fully charged, the eco-drive watch can run for up to six months without exposure to light, he added.

NTPC Ramagundam unit generates 7562 MW units of power

The National Thermal Power Corporation's (NTPC) Ramagundam unit has generated 7562.61 million units of electricity with a plant load factor (PLF) of 82 per cent by September end this year, general manager K Prakash Rao said. The unit had achieved the PLF in only six months against the target of 87 per cent for 1998-99, he added. About the availability of coal from Singareni, he said the unit needs 30,000 tonnes per day and NTPC has a stock of about 4.5 lakh tonnes at present. A comprehensive action plan has been taken up for containing fugitive emissions, he said.

Market assistance for handloom sector

Market assistance and design development should be provided to the handloom sector to tap its export potential, textiles secretary Shyamal Ghosh said. "Handloomshave an export potential even in the western countries and need an outlet to the urban markets to realise their potential," Ghosh said while inaugurating the third annual silk exposition `silk fab.' Many countries had no quota restrictions for handlooms and India should take advantage of this to capture new markets, he said.

GSFC plant

GSFC has installed a 10,000 mtpa capacity melamine plant at a cost of Rs 87 crore. The only project of its kind in the country, GSFC will maintain international standards in the manufacture of quality melamine.A GSFC release said, union minister of state for chemicals and fertilisers AK Patel will dedicate the plant to the nation on Sunday.

Paradip Phosphates workers threaten strike

The Paradip Phosphates Mazdoor Union, affiliated to the Intuc, has threatened to go on strike if the case relating to the murder of its former vice-president Bichitrananda Mallick was not handed over to the CBI for inquiry. Although the state government had handed over the caseto the crime branch of police three days after the crime, none had been arrested so far nor the inquiry make any satisfactory progress, union leaders claimed. Unidentified assailants hacked Mallick to death while he was returning home from duty around midnight on May 12 last.