Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister V D Satheesan defended the appointments to the personal staff of the Chief Minister and ministers, rejecting allegations that the present government had appointed an unusually large number of staff members.
In his Facebook post, the CM said he stood by his earlier statement that 787 personal staff members were appointed within five years during the tenure of the previous Pinarayi Vijayan government. He said the current government had so far appointed 476 people to ministers’ personal staff.
“The Leader of the Opposition has claimed that there were fewer than 500 personal staff members in total and has demanded that the Chief Minister publish a list. I am prepared to provide not only the names but also detailed information, including the addresses, of the personal staff members appointed by the Chief Minister and ministers between 2021 and 2026,” Satheesan said.
Satheesan said his own personal staff currently comprises 31 members, adding that more appointments could still be made within the limits prescribed by law.
He said ministers had been instructed to restrict their personal staff to a maximum of 25 members, and claimed that none of the ministers in the present Cabinet had exceeded that limit. “Many ministers have not appointed as many people as they need. They are still in the process of making appointments,” he said.
Satheesan also pointed to the previous government’s appointments, saying some ministers in the earlier Cabinet had 27, 28 or even 29 members on their personal staff.
On the Chief Whip’s office, Satheesan said the previous Chief Whip had 28 staff members, while the current Chief Whip had appointed 16, arguing that the figures did not support allegations that the present government had made excessive appointments.
Satheesan further alleged that 12 people had been appointed during the previous government’s tenure to maintain the Chief Minister’s social media handles. According to him, they were appointed on salary scales ranging from ₹22,290 to ₹75,000, with their salaries subsequently increased through an order issued in 2025.
He claimed that the previous Pinarayi Vijayan government spent more than ₹7 lakh per month and over ₹84 lakh annually solely on social media maintenance.
He maintained that the present government had not appointed more personal staff than the permitted limit, and said the ongoing appointments were being made within the framework prescribed by law.
