The Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) has approved payment of interim dividend at 30 per cent on the paid up equity capital of Rs. 630 crore for the financial year 2005-06. Accordingly, a dividend cheque of Rs. 106.31 crore, payable to the Government towards interim dividend was presented by Shri R.S.P. Sinha, CMD, MTNL to Shri Dayanidhi Maran, Minister of Communications & Information Technology here today in the presence of senior officers of DoT and MTNL.

The cheque presented today represents interim dividend for the year 2005-06 at the rate of 30 per cent (Rs. 3/- per share) on the paid up equity capital of Rs. 630 crore of the Government's holding in the Corporation which works out to Rs. 189 crore.

MTNL has been paying dividend at the rate of 45 per cent on its equity capital of Rs. 630 crore. During the last 5 years an aggregate amount of Rs. 1607 crore has been paid as dividend to shareholders including Rs. 904 crore to the Government towards their shareholding in the Company.

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