PARADIP: The authorities of Paradeep Phosphates Ltd on Monday clarified that they have no intention to shut down the Odia DAV Public School in PPL Township area. The clarification of PPL management comes a day after this paper published a news item titled ‘Locals oppose PPL decision to close Odia DAV school’.On the day, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of PPL Vishwajeet Kumar Sinha convened a press meet and said the plant management will not close the Odia DAV Public School. The intention of the management is to provide quality education to all children in both the DAV schools (English and Odia). “We are committed to a better future of each and every student and have not taken any step for stopping admission from this year,” Sinha said.
PPL’s 30-year agreement with DAV management expired in January. In the process of renewal of the contract, PPL management has asked the DAV authorities to submit a road map to enhance the quality of education. But the DAV authorities are yet to submit the proposal, the COO said.Some teachers are spreading false propaganda that PPL will shut down the school and unnecessarily creating panic among parents and students, he said.
Refuting the allegation of PPL having an anti-Odia policy, Sinha said 95 per cent of the plant employees are Odias. The PPL management has announced a `10,000 crore plan for plant expansion and appointment of more locals, he said.Chief of PPL DAV Parent’s Committee and sarpanch of Paradipgarh Mihir Ranjan Sahoo welcomed the decision of PPL management. “We have decided to meet PPL authorities and express our satisfaction over their decision,” he said.
