The extreme weather can transform even a mild toothache into a painful disability and evacuation to the nearest hospital can take days due to snow blizzards and low cloud formations.

Therefore, soldiers were expecting their ‘hardship’ allowance to increase substantially. While the panel has suggested that the allowance - starting from the Rs 1500 given the sepoys - be doubled for all ranks, soldiers are not too happy with the amount.

However, army HQ seems to be aware of the grievance and is now pushing for a three time hike against the panel recommendation of 200 percent. This, officers say, will both reward seniority and make the hike ‘meaningful’ for the common soldier.

Soldiers never complain but there is a tinge of hope as information coming in from buddies in Delhi says that the service chiefs are still fighting for a better deal and fresh proposals are being considered by the Defence Ministry.

At New Delhi, the three services are making a last ditch attempt to get more out of the pay panel. In the third round of meetings between the service chiefs and the Defence Minister last week, pay panel members were explained the urgent need of increasing both the MSP and allowances.

Till then, the harsh reality is that forget a monthly saving, a sepoy on the border is struggling to send home enough money to catch up with the rising food prices. While the pay panels suggestions to increase allowance for children’s education has brought cheer, the 40-50 percent hike has wiped away dreams of buying a computer or opening a savings account for college education.