It seems the armed forces will have to wait some more for their fresh pay package. The chiefs of the three armed forces, in their meeting with defence minister A K Antony on Thursday, are not likely to finalise the much anticipated new pay package, as it is not quite ready yet, government sources said. Issues related to the new airfields being reopened along the borders in the North east side of the country and other security concerns are on the agenda.

Sources said while the pay commission?s recommendations will be discussed in the meeting, no fresh recommendations have been adopted yet for the armed forces. There have been some news reports stating that a fresh package as suggested by the empowered group of secretaries headed by the Cabinet Secretary KM Chandrasekhar is to be finalised during Thursday?s meeting

Rubbishing these reports, officials clarified that the fresh pay package as suggested by the empowered group of secretaries headed by Cabinet Secretary KM Chandrasekhar is not ready yet . ?These are just pressure tactics being adopted by the armed forces, ?sources claimed.

The defence minister has said that his ministry was alive to the expectations of the services with regard to the Sixth Pay Commission Report. At the recently concluded commanders conference in New Delhi, Antony said ?the ministry of defence and the services have pointed out various anomalies and have made specific recommendations to the Committee of Secretaries. I?m confident the government will try its best to address the concerns.?

Though concerns have been rising over the exodus of talent from the forces, some look at it positively. As one senior officer pointed out, ? with new technologically improved weapon systems, new aircraft carriers and submarines being inducted in the services, air force squadrons going down from 39 to 30, is an indication that the services can do better being ?lean and mean?.

?With the inflation rates going up, expecting more funds from the government for not only modernisation plans but also for new pay packages not going to be easy,? said the officer. However, it is expected that the government will announce an attractive package that will enhance the pay and perks of the men in uniform by almost 20%.

Also, the new package is expected to create around 4,000 more posts of colonels, brigadiers and generals in the Army and their equivalents in the Navy and Air Force to address the issue of resentment due to stagnation in the forces.

Chiefs of Staff Committee chairman Admiral Sureesh Mehta would make a presentation to the Committee of Secretaries before it goes to Cabinet.