The Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) has issued a special notification granting discount to all the government law officers of the Kerala High Court, on services availed at its star hotels.
The order, issued by KTDC Managing Director Ali Asgar Pasha, stated that all the premium hotels of the KTDC will extend 40 percent discount to all law officers, including the Advocate General, Additional Advocate Generals, Director General of Prosecution, Additional Director General of Prosecution, State Attorney, Special Government Pleaders, Senior Government Pleaders and Government Pleaders of the Office of the Advocate General.
The officials will get discount for their accommodation and dining at five-star properties, including the Mascot Hotel, Thiruvananthapuram; Hotel Samudra, Kovalam; Bolgatty Palace Hotel, Kochi; Ayurvedic Lake Resort, Thanneermukkom; Waterscapes, Kumarakom; Tea County, Munnar; Arya Nivas and Lake Palace, Thekkady; and Raindrops, Chennai.
The order, issued on March 26, also offers 30 percent discount on services availed at budget hotels like Chaithram, and Tamarind Hotels and Motels.
The order will benefit all the 113 government pleaders/public prosecutors of the Kerala High Court, comprising 18 special government pleaders, 49 senior government pleaders, and 46 government pleaders.
Of the 113 government pleaders, five are presently deployed for conducting cases before the Kerala Administrative Tribunal at Thiruvananthapuram, and one government pleader is conducting cases before the Central Administrative Tribunal Bench, Ernakulam.
However, a section of the legal fraternity is against the order providing facilities to legal officers at KTDC hotels.
According to Sebastian Paul, a practicing lawyer in the Kerala High Court, the government need not have to extend such benefits to the pleaders.
“The facilities are justifiable if they are availed by the officials while on duty. But, it is unacceptable if the benefits are used for their personal needs,” he said.
The government has already been providing extra facilities to the pleaders at places like the Kerala House, which could be availed while they are on official tours.