The ministry of defence has instructed the three service chiefs to settle their now-public wrangling over their share of posts in the proposed expansion.
NEW DELHI: The ministry of defence has instructed the three service chiefs to settle their now-public wrangling over their share of posts in the proposed expansion. In an official communication last week, the ministry also warned that if the three services made unjustifiable demands, the proposal would not get government approval.
The fight for seats has turned into a battle royale with the Army on one side and the Navy and Air Force on the other. The stand-off entered the public domain after DNA published a detailed letter from Army chief general JJ Singh early this month to Defence Minister AK Antony accusing the Navy and Air Force of trying to corner more than their fair share of seats. Singh had stated that this would widen the seniority difference between the Army and the two services at senior levels.
Antony, however, has told the service chiefs not to take their fight to the media, while assuring them that their views would be taken into consideration.
Sources said, the Ministry of Defence wrote to the three services asking them to meet and amicably end the dispute. The communication has also made it clear that the government will not back the proposal if they make unjustifiable demands.
The increase in the number of seats at the highest ranks is part of a reform process that was kickstarted after the AV Singh Committee submitted its report. While the Army insists that a seat increase should be in proportion to the total officer cadre of the services, the Navy and Air Force insist that they would only get about two each at that rank while the army will get 20 new posts.
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