THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After completing the service limit of two years and one day for pension eligibility, the personal staff of the ministers are being changed. The next set of preferred people will be made staff now.

There is no special educational qualification for the personal staff job with a salary up to 1.60 lakhs. The governor had earlier criticized that spending crores on their salary and pension was illegal.

Personal Staff Pension was started in 1994. There should be 3 years of service for eligibility for a minimum pension. Those who work for two years and one day will be given a pension of Rs 4750 considering it as three years of service.

There are 362 personnel staff including the ones for Chief Minister, Ministers and Leader of Opposition. The previous UDF government had employed 623 as personal staff. 1.42 crore is required for their salary. There is 7% DA and 10% HRA and medical re-imbursement. They also get government quarters. Leader of Opposition has 14 staff. When ministers Antony Raju and Ahmed Devarkov are replaced by Ganesh Kumar and Kadanapalli, the staff will also change.

During the tenure of a minister, two people will be employed and

made eligible for pension. The government has not accepted the Pay Commission's recommendation that only those who have worked for at least four years should be given a pension. With the completion of the Navakerala sadas, the personnel staff will change en masse.

Even plane tickets

• High salary is given to Private Secretary and Ad. Private Secretary. Pay Scale 1,07,800-1,60,000.
• Lowest salary is for cook. Pay Scale 23,000-50,200.
• Those earning up to Rs 70,000 will get first-class AC train tickets and above Rs 77,000 can get air tickets.
• The top three posts have the pay scale and rank of Deputy Secretary. Those below have Undersecretary rank.