Gangtok, July 29: Sikkim’s only profit-making company, Sikkim Time Corporation (Sitco), has registered a growth of 81 per cent during the first quarter of the year.

Speaking at the second sales conference held at the Sitco premises, managing director Taga Khampa said the company recorded a turnover of Rs 80 lakh till June 2001.

Sales representatives from across the country are participating in a two-day conference, starting today, where the management would discuss various marketing strategies, said Sitco deputy general manager Gyurmie Yousal.

The company also launched nine new models of digital watches and 15 of analog watches today.

“The market scenario is not good. Smuggled watches are making their way into the market. Then there are unscrupulous private manufacturers who produce cheap watches to avoid all forms of taxes. Despite all these drawbacks, Sitco has managed to register a growth of 81 per cent in the first quarter of this year,” said Khampa.

Sitco has been manufacturing watches for the last 27 years and has more than 700 outlets across the country.

Man murdered in bed

The murder of 32-year-old Aku Pal on Monday night has put the Chopra police in a fix, reports our Raiganj correspondent.

Pal, a businessman, was found dead in his bedroom in Kachakoli village. His body bore injury marks. North Dinajpur district superintendent of police Nabarun Bhattacharya said no one had been arrested.

“The murder is probably related to a marital dispute. We are interrogating the wife whose name we are not disclosing for the sake of investigation. No arrests have been made so far,” the district police chief said.