THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Governor Arif Mohammed Khan has six personal staffers appointed on a co-terminus basis, reveals an RTI reply secured by activist Raju Vazhakkala. As many as 165 staff work in the Raj Bhavan. They include 46 temporary staffers recruited through the Kudumbashree.
The governor’s personal staff include two officers on special duty, one additional private secretary, a PRO and two personal attendants. The PRO, a former government servant, originally appointed by Khan’s predecessor A Sathasivam has been reappointed. All others were handpicked by Khan, and the OSDs are former government servants.
The personal staffers of the governor are not eligible for pensionary benefits as in the case of ministers’ personal staffers. In addition to these, the government had regularised the service of a photographer on the basis of Khan’s recommendation. The reply said Khan’s monthly salary was Rs 3.50 lakh.