The Kerala government has spent more than ₹1 crore on honorarium and staff salaries for Prof KV Thomas during his tenure as the state’s Special Representative in New Delhi, according to a Right to Information (RTI) reply.
The information was provided by the Public Information Officer of Kerala House in Delhi in response to an RTI application filed by an activist, Raju Vazhakkala, in Kochi.
Prof K V Thomas took charge as the Special Representative of the Government of Kerala on January 20, 2023, and officially stepped down on May 4, 2026. He received a monthly honorarium of ₹1 lakh. Additionally, the government covered expenses for official travel by air and road, as well as the salaries of his personal staff.
According to the RTI documents, the expenditure incurred up to April 2026 includes ₹39,38,710 paid as monthly honorarium and ₹61,83,500 spent on the salaries and consolidated pay of the personal staff attached to the former Special Representative.
The government also paid ₹13,04,854 to ODEPC towards airfare for official flights undertaken up to February 24, 2025. Prof. Thomas also received ₹39,000 towards incidental expenses related to official air travel undertaken during 2023, while ₹2,20,429 was spent on fuel for his official vehicle.
The RTI records show that the combined expenditure on honorarium and personal staff salaries alone exceeded ₹1 crore, excluding the additional expenses incurred on official air travel, incidental travel costs, and fuel for the official vehicle.
