Top cement maker Shree Cement Limited has posted 34% increase in its net sales during the last fiscal that ended on March 2010.

The company's net sales for the year stood at Rs 3632 crore as against Rs 2711 crores.

The net profit margin during the period under review surged 17% to Rs 676 crore.

SCL said that the volume of cement and clinker sales during the last fiscal came up by 22% against 11% in the whole of North India.

Likewise, during the last quarter, SCL had recorded net sales of Rs 944 crore, up by 17% from Rs 805 crore in the same quarter of last year.

The officials added that the contribution from power business in the company's net turnover increased twofold to Rs 176.95 crores from Rs 80.63 crores during last year.

SCL's operating profit for the last fiscal zoomed 59% to Rs 1578 crore on the back of increased operational efficiency, better capacity utilization and higher price realization.

The company's directors announced a final dividend of Rs 8 a share to its stockholders.

Moreover, SCL also paid an interim dividend of Rs 5 a share during this year taking the total dividend payment for the year to Rs 13 per share against Rs 10 per share paid during the previous year.

During 2009-10, the company increase both its cement as well as power generation capacity by accrediting two grinding plants of 1.2 million tonne at Suratgarh in Rajasthan and of 1.8 million tonne at Laksar in Uttarakhand.

The company was also making plans to further strengthen its cement capacity by establishing a one million tonne capacity clinkerisation facility at Ras and another one mtpa cement grinding facility in Jaipur. They were also planning to set up a 300 MW (2 x 150 MW)thermal power plant at Beawar is progressing as per schedule by December next year, the sources said. (With Inputs from Agencies)