Bhubaneswar, December 19: The high-level committee headed by retired IAS officer Ashok Kumar Tripathy, constituted to review the demands of teaching and non-teaching staff of aided and private educational institutions, held its first meeting on Friday here.

Tripathy along with Committee member Santanu Kumar Sahoo and Member Convener, Sanatan Panda held discussions with the Secretaries of School and Mass Education and Higher Education departments.

“The Experts Committee constituted to address long-pending issues of educational institutions in the State commenced its work today. Shri Ashok Kumar Tripathy, Chairperson, held discussions with the CCS, S&ME Deptt, and the CCS, Higher Education Deptt, in the presence of Shri Santanu Kumar Sahoo, Member, and Shri Sanatan Panda, Member Convener, on key issues concerning various categories of employees,” posts School and Mass Education Department on ‘X’.

Earlier this month, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced the formation of the committee to examine various long-pending demands of teachers, professors and non-teaching staff working in different aided and private educational institutions under the School and Mass Education and Higher Education departments.

Multiple associations of teachers and employees working in Government, aided and block-grant (non-government aided) educational institutions under the School and Mass Education department and the Higher Education department have been raising various service-related demands before the Government.

The committee is mandated to submit its report within six months.

Teachers of aided colleges have been demanding equal pay and benefits as their Government counterparts, specifically the UGC pay scale with a higher grade pay and formal recognition as state government employees. Their other demands include restoration of the old pension scheme and a higher retirement age to 62.

Hundreds of State Selection Board (SSB) lecturers serving in aided colleges across the State staged a massive protest in front of the State Assembly in October demanding UGC pay parity, service recognition and dignity.