Even as resentment persists in the armed forces over the Pay Commission proposals, a bonanza is in the offing for the senior ranks as the Defence Ministry has cleared proposals for creating more than 110 posts of Generals.
The proposal, which requires the nod of the Cabinet Committee on Security, would have a trickle-down effect as Brigadiers and Colonels in the army, Air Commodores and Group Captains in the Air Force and Commodores and Captains in the Navy would also be in line for being promoted.
The decks for these large-scale promotions have been cleared through the mediation of Defence Minister A K Antony who has made the three service Chiefs Gen Deepak Kapoor, Air Chief Marshal Fali H Major and Admiral Sureesh Mehta halt their bickerings and arrive at a "compromise formula" on the phase two of the A V Singh committee report.
Sources said the amended committee report had now been finalised by the Defence Ministry and would be put up to the cabinet committee on security for final clearance next week.
Apparently as a prelude to the proposed promotions, the CCS on Thursday, gave its approval for upgradation and creation of 117 new posts in the Armed Forces Medical Services, including creation of three posts of the rank of Lieutenant Generals, 15 Major Generals and equivalent ranks in other two services and 82 in the ranks of Brigadiers.
The CCS also cleared upgradation of 16 posts in the Army Dental Corps including the creation of three new posts in the rank of Major Generals, nine brigadiers and four colonels.
The post of incharge of the Nose and Throat section of the Army Medical Corps has also been upgraded to that of brigadier or equivalent rank in the IAF or Navy.
The decision, according to an official statement comes in the wake of significant changes in the role of the AFMS to prepare the country for nuclear and biological warfare.
The CCS also approved the proposals to change the ratio between permanent and short service commission officers in the AFMS to 60:40 as against the present ratio of 70:30.
The promotions at the highest level in the armed forces were delayed as there were bickerings among the three services on the share of new posts being created in three and two star General ranks.
The Army citing that it had more than 1.3 million men under arms staked claim to the lion's share in the new posts, which was hotly contested by the Air Force and Navy.
This led to Antony holding two rounds of meetings with the three service chiefs to arrive at a compromise formula.