Diplomats on a roll

There are smiles in the Ministry of External Affairs despite the fact that its administrative section has been tardy in implementing the Pay Commission. Reason: the Finance Ministry has approved a proposal to hike foreign allowance across the board for all diplomats. While orders are not out, the buzz is that it is a healthy 10-20 per cent hike. This, along with recent approval of the Cabinet to create scores of new posts, has kept our diplomats in high spirits despite the financial meltdown