14 August, 2013 Dear Editor, Independence Day Greetings to you.

I had kept all of you in the Thiruvananthapuram Media List updated about the facts and truth about the allegations raised against me by Shri. P C George and others ever since few of them came up with wild and baseless allegations. Few days back, Shri. P C George repeated the same allegations in the Ernakulam Press Club and several reporters from Ernakulam reported it across several media, some with prominence since some of them did not have the facts and truth about these allegations. I had also posted the explanations on Twitter and Facebook also. I am travelling outside India for the next four weeks visiting US, Canada, France, UK, Dubai (UAE), Singapore and Saudi Arabia. With all humility, I inform you of this as Shri. P C George has alleged and several media in Kerala carried stories about my previous foreign trips while serving as the Economic Advisor to the Chief Minister, Kerala. I have posted details of all my foreign trips on my Facebook Page and also emailed it to several of you. Many of you are also personally aware that I have travelled extensively before becoming the Economic Advisor to the Chief Minister, Kerala and I just wish to bring to your notice that I am travelling again as a private citizen. Four Kerala Political Leaders specifically Shri. V S Achuthanandan, Hon. Leader of Opposition, Kerala, Shri. P C George, Government Chief Whip, Kerala, Shri. K Surendran, BJP State General Secretary and Shri. V S Sunilkumar, MLA & Member CPI have unleashed a FALSE AND ABSOLUTELY BASELESS CAMPAIGN that I, Shaffi Mather, drew Rs. 73.50 Lacs as TA / DA from Government of Kerala during my 14 month tenure as the Economic Advisor to the Chief Minister, Kerala. Many TV Channels gave time and air space to these four leaders to propagate the above false and baseless campaign against me. Unfortunately, the current situation in Kerala is that media gives a lot of time and space to those making allegations and less than 1 / 100th time and space for those defending themselves against such false and baseless allegations even after producing proof of the falseness of the allegations. When confronted with the allegation that I had drawn Rs. 73.50 Lacs as TA / DA from Government of Kerala, I categorically denied it as I knew the following: I have not submitted any bills for TA / DA to Government of Kerala and I have not drawn any amount from Government of Kerala for my travels. Flight (Plane) charges of Rs. 2,42,084/- was presented by ODEPEC (Kerala Government Travel Agency) to Government of Kerala for my Domestic (within India) travels. This amount is yet to be paid as the officials of ODEPEC calls me regularly even now for payment of this bill.

I had used the Official Car only for official use as I was using my own car for my personal use.

No one was willing to even listen to my position in the current media environment where Shri. K Surendran, Shri. P C George and Shri. V S Sunilkumar is continually given space and time on TV by almost all TV Channels for making wild and baseless allegations against anyone they choose to. Everyone in the media knows that none of them Shri. K Surendran, Shri. P C George and Shri. V S Sunilkumar has even produced an iota of evidence on any of the allegations that they have been making. It appears that they are continuing the false campaign with support especially from Kerala TV Channels with some specific agenda and goal without establishing any of the original allegations made by them. When confronted, they move onto new allegations still without any proof and still continue to get time and space in TV Channels. In my conscious adult life of 30 years, I have not seen an instance of such massive propaganda of goebelsian lies in Kerala to defame and destroy individuals who have worked for the betterment of the Kerala State and Society. Paul Joseph Goebbels (German: [bls] ( listen);[1] 29 October 1897 1 May 1945) was a German politician and Reich Minister of Propaganda in Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945. As one of Adolf Hitler's closest associates and most devout followers, he was known for his zealous orations and deep and virulent antisemitism, which led him to support the extermination of the Jews and to be one of the mentors of the Final Solution. Goebelsian Propaganda is about repeating a lie several times and from multiple sources that the society starts taking it as the truth. The current concerted campaign by Shri. P C George, Shri. K Surendran and Shri. V S Sunilkumar against the Hon. Chief Minister of Kerala of which I am a collateral damage is a great modern day Kerala example of geobelsian propaganda. As was the case with Goebels, this is a fascist tool to take over power playing mind games with the people. While this vicious, false and baseless campaign is going on, yesterday, I received a letter from ODEPC Ltd (Kerala Government Company) asking me to pay Rs. 242084/towards flight (Plane Ticket) charges which were incurred for my official travel as Economic Advisor to the Chief Minister of Kerala. Let me bring the facts about expenses incurred by Government of Kerala for me in my tenure as the Economic Advisor to the Chief Minister, Kerala: A. Travelling: 1. TA / DA (Proof in Annexure I): a. I (Shaffi Mather) have not submitted even one bill for TA / DA to GAD (Accounts) Department during my tenure. Pls see Point 1 in Annexure I from Additional Secretary to Government, GAD (Accounts Department) in this regard Details of bills seen submitted by him Nil till date.

b. No TA / DA were paid to me (Shaffi Mather) from the GAD (Accounts) Department during my tenure. Pls see Point 2 in Annexure I from Additional Secretary to Government, GAD (Accounts Department) in this regard No TA / DA was paid to him from this Department till date. c. No flight charges were claimed or paid for my (Shaffi Mather) travel from GAD (Accounts) Department during my tenure. Pls see Point 3 in Annexure I from Additional Secretary to Government, GAD (Accounts Department) in this regard No flight charges claimed or paid for his travel from this Department till date. d. No other reimbursement claims have been submitted by me (Shaffi Mather) to GAD (Accounts) Department. Please note Point 4 in Annexure I from Additional Secretary to Government, GAD (Accounts Department) in this regard - No other reimbursement claims are submitted by him in this Department. e. No amount has been claimed by me (Shaffi Mather) from GAD (Accounts) Department or paid to me (ShaffI Mather) by GAD (Accounts) Department. Please note Point 5 in Annexure I from Additional Secretary to Government, GAD (Accounts Department) in this regard - No amount has been claimed or paid to him from the Head of Account operated by General Administration (Accounts) Department. 2. Flight (Plane Charges) (Proof in Annexure II): a. Flight Charges of Rs. 2,42,084/- (Rupees Two lakhs Forty Two Thousand and Eighty Four only) was incurred towards flight (plane) charges for my (Shaffi Mather) travel. Please note the amount mentioned in the Annexure II from Under Secretary to Government, General Administration (Services H) Department wherein it is clearly mentioned that I (Shaffi Mather) have claimed Rs. 2,42,084/- towards flight charges for my travel. 3. Official Car (Proof in Annexure III): a. Fuel incurred for the use of Official Care for the 14 months of my tenure is Rs. 89,000/-. Please see Annexure III from Assistant Executive Engineer, Tourism Garage, Thiruvananthapuram dated 24.07.2013. Kindly note that the average use of the Vehicle by me (Shaffi Mather) is less than 1000 kilometers a month or less than 33 kilometers a day. This includes several trips to Cochin for Emerging Kerala. b. Additionally, Tourism Department has incurred Rs. 160,083.00 towards repairs and maintenance of the Vehicle and Rs. 160,650 towards salary of the driver of the car.

c. Normally, only the fuel charges are taken in the expense account of an official as other charges are general in nature 4. Residence (Apartment) (Proof in Annexure IV): a. Government of Kerala (Tourism Department) had fixed the rent for the apartment taken on lease by me (Shaffi Mather) @ Rs. 18,258/- per month. Please see the Annexure IV GO (Rt) No. 987/2013/Tsm dated 05.02.2013 wherein the terms are clearly stated. The total amount of Rent for the 14 month tenure comes to Rs. 2,55,612/-. It may be noted that Government of Kerala has not paid even one rupee of this rent till date. 5. Mobile Phone: (Proof in Annexure V) a. Government of Kerala has paid Rs. 8206/- towards bills of mobile phone given to me (Shaffi Mather). The monthly bill comes to Rs. 586.14/-. Please see Annexure V. Thus Total Expenses incurred by Government of Kerala for me (Shaffi Mather) till date is: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. TA / DA: Flight (Plane) charges: Official Car (Fuel) Residence (Apartment) Mobile Phone Expenses TOTAL 0.00 242084.00 89000.00 255612.00 8206.00 594902.00

In this expenses incurred for my travel (both plane charges and car) is 331084/-. Out of the total expenses of Rs. 594,902.00 incurred till I resigned, Government of Kerala has not paid Rs. 497696.00 (Rs. 255612 due for rent of Apartment - See Annexure VI; and Rs. 242084/- due for Flight Tickets See Annexure VII) till date. Yet, unscrupulous politicians have been making false, wild and baseless allegation that I drew Rs. 73.50 Lacs from Government of Kerala as TA / DA. The above being the situation, Shri. P C George, Shri. K Surendran, Shri. V S Sunilkumar and Shri. V S Achuthanandan alleged that I have I have drawn Rs. 73.50 Lacs as TA / DA, overstating the amount by 22 times (22 Eratti). I believe that Government of Kerala would be spending every month more than the total amount spent for me for my 14 months tenure for both Shri. V S Achuthanandan and Shri. P C George. While I respect the role being played by Shri. V S Achuthanandan as the Hon. Opposition Leader of Kerala, why should Keralites bear the expenses of Shri. P C George and get our families to hear unparliamentary

and indecent language every day through TV Channels of Shri. P C George abusing other individuals in the guise of doing his public duty. AS I ASKED IN MY PREVIOUS EMAILS TO ALL OF YOU, PLEASE TELL ME WHAT WRONG HAVE I DONE? TO KERALA, GOVT OF KERALA, KERALITES OR ANYONE IN BEING PRUDENT IN SPENDING GOVERNMENT FUNDS FURING MY TENURE IN OFFICE...... I am still working on putting the record straight on one other baseless allegation against me by Shri. P C George, Shri. V S Sunilkumar and Shri. K Surendran in regard to 108 Ambulance Service. They do not mind destroying credibility and credentials of individuals and organizations built through sheer hard work and commitment...... I shall share it with you as soon as I have records to establish truth beyond doubt.... Last, Shri. P C George has filed a complaint against me to the Hon. Chief Minister of Kerala. The complaint is simply a repetition of the wild and baseless allegations he has raised in the media against me. Hon. Chief Minister of Kerala has asked me to give him a written explanation in regard to the various allegations raised by Shri. P C George in his complaint to the Hon. Chief Minister. Though the replies are all posted on my Facebook Page for media and all of Kerala to access, I shall be submitting my written explanation at the earliest. I shall share the same also to all of you as soon as it is ready. I would like to again request all of you to have the decency of checking facts with me before sensationalising news about me especially those which have been proactively disclosed by me. Regards, Shaffi Mather Enclosures