Calcutta, Aug. 24 :    Calcutta, Aug. 24:  After tea, it is now the turn of battery. Eveready Industries India Limited wants to sell off its 70 per cent stake in the Nepalese battery joint venture - Nepal Battery Company Limited. The remaining 30 per cent stake in the company is with the Nepalese people. The company has already come out of the business of distribution of miniature and alkaline batteries, products of Eveready Energizer Miniature Ltd and Energizer India Ltd respectively, on account of low returns. However, the decision to pull out from Nepal will not affect the company's Indian operations. Sources said that Nepal Battery is on the verge of closure with more than 50 per cent of its employees having left the company. The over abundant supply of local and imported batteries has severely eroded the company's marketshare and sales volumes have dropped below the break-even point rendering the business unviable. Senior officials said with unsold stocks piling up, the company was forced to stop production on several occasions. The company, however, continued to pay full wages and salaries to all its workmen and staff even during occasions when production was stopped. The officials claimed that the situation further aggravated due to continued non-co-operation and agitational tactics of a section of staff who were in charge of key functions such as production, supervision, sales, finance, accounts and administration. In view of this, an application was submitted to the department of labour in Nepal for permission to close down the factory. The department of labour turned down the company's proposal. Based on the legal advice, the company has filed a writ petition against the decision before the Supreme Court of Nepal. The officials said that once the writ petition is vacated, Eveready will sell off the company. 'After going through a phase of restructuring, the company now wants to consolidate its businesses,' the officials further added. The company has also come out from the business of cinema arc carbons on account of its unrelated nature from the mainstream activities.