Services for self

The three armed forces may not see eye to eye on a lot of issues, like the allotment of senior officer posts or composition of the tri-services institutes, but their camaraderie came to light during the controversy over the 8220;dilution of standards8221; in the pay panel. The manner in which the services acted in tandem amused South Block babus. As bureaucrats describe, the initial heat over higher scales for armed forces was borne by the Army Chief, who discussed it during a senior officers8217; conference and even brought it up to the President. After that, the Air Chief swung into action and shot off a letter to the Chiefs of Staff Committee 8212; which got 8220;leaked8221; to the media 8212; protesting against an 8220;unfair deal8221;. The mantle was then taken up by the Navy Chief, who raised the issue with Antony and even talked to the PM on the subject. The only party silent in the whole affair was the low-profile Coast Guard. The new scales have taken care of a long-standing grouse of the Coast Guard by putting its officers at par with those of the Indian Navy.